A Raptor's Talons
by Person002
Summary: On April 1, 2006, two children watched their family fall to their deaths from a rigged trapeze. One became Robin and brought justice to his family. The other was taken before Bruce Wayne could get to her and raised as an assassin without an identity. Nearly a decade later, Karla Grayson is freed from the Court of Owls and the title of the Talon - but who is Karla outside the mask?
1. Happy New Year

**Back at it again with another YJ fic bc seriously, I've had this plot bunny of an OC for ages, man.**

 **And I KNOW: Grayson sister OCs are super super cliche and overdone...but I'm hoping that this is at least less cliche and overdone because I've never seen a story like this (and if I had, I wouldn't have written this bc I would have been satisfied by reading it) so anyways. Hope it's not terrible.**

 **More notes at the bottom if you care.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Raptor/Karla Grayson. That's it.**

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **January 1, 18:18 EST**

Raptor was leaning against the Cave wall near a sleeping Wolf, idly watching Nightwing and Lagoon Boy spar for the third time that night. And also for the third time that night – her brother kicked Lagoon Boy's ass. Raptor sighed loudly, kicking the wall in frustration. She was bored. And mad.

The Atlantean landed on the ground with a loud grunt. He swore under his breath and slammed his fist into the ground.

"Neptune's beard!" Lagoon Boy uttered his favorite oath. He turned back towards the human. "You did it to me again!" Nightwing smiled apologetically as he offered his hand to the other male. "I don't care how many years you trained as Robin and then Nightwing," Lagoon Boy continued as the human hauled him to his feet. "One of these days, you're _mine,_ chum."

The sentence would have been threatening if it hadn't been punctuated with a smile. The challenge was apparent, but it was all in good nature. Nightwing grinned back, clapping his teammate on the shoulder encouragingly.

"I don't doubt it, Lagoon Boy."

"I do." Raptor called out, throwing in her two cents from the side. As usual, it was unwanted. Lagoon Boy and Nightwing turned to glare at her, and she shrugged, unapologetically. "Sorry. I like to keep it real." Nightwing rolled his eyes – he was wearing his domino mask, but Raptor could tell. He did that often around her.

"Keep it a little less real if it means being nice, okay?" he scolded her. Raptor didn't reply, and he turned to Lagoon Boy. "Sorry. Ignore her." Lagoon Boy shrugged.

"I think we're all used to it by now," Lagoon Boy replied, mostly unbothered. Raptor snorted darkly from the corner, scowling at no one.

"Unfortunately," Nightwing sighed under his breath. As the conversation fizzled out, the Zeta Tubes powered up.

" _Recognized: Superboy: B-Zero-Four; Miss Martian: B-Zero-Five; Bumblebee: B-One-Eight; Beast Boy: B-Two-Zero; Robin: B-Two-One; Blue Beetle: B-Two-Three."_ Lagoon Boy broke into a wide grin and jogged over to meet Miss Martian, his 'angelfish.' Mal also appeared in the hallway to greet his girlfriend. Bumblebee landed in front of him, and he grinned at her.

"Slow down, beautiful," Mal told Karen as she grew to regular size and removed her cowl. "I want to tell you what's on for tonight." Karen smiled apologetically, and started walking away.

"Ooh, sorry Mal, I can't. I'm already late for a lab session with Doctor Palmer." With that, the young woman began to jog down the hall. She glanced back over her shoulder at her boyfriend. "Rain check, baby, okay?" Mal watched her go, his face falling.

"Rain check," he muttered, his shoulders slumped. "Sure."

"Welcome home, Angelfish," Lagoon Boy said, embracing the Martian girl. She giggled and thanked him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Rolling her eyes under her mask, Raptor walked over to listen to Nightwing and Robin's conversation instead.

"Clayface is safely back in his Arkham cell," Robin reported to the older teen. Nightwing nodded approvingly.

"Good work," he said.

"Yeah," Raptor added as she walked up. Robin's shoulders stiffened, already anticipating her next words. "You know, for a _replacement,"_ she drawled, arching an eyebrow in a challenge. The effect was minimized by the mask she wore, but Robin glared at her, and Nightwing gave her a warning look.

"You're dismissed," Nightwing told Robin. As he walked away, Nightwing rounded on his younger sister, shaking his head. "Care to explain why you're in particularly terrible mood tonight?" He asked her, sounding irritated. "Even you're not usually this much of an asshole."

 _I beg to differ,_ Raptor thought darkly. Instead, she said aloud, "I'm in a 'terrible mood' because I've had to sit around all night doing _nothing_. Why did you make me to come to the Cave if all I was going to do was sit around and watch you spar with a partner you can clearly beat?"

"You could have trained, too, you know," Nightwing reminded her, ignoring the last part of her sentence. "You don't need to wait for a personal invitation." Raptor scowled and scuffed the ground with her toe. A sullen quiet fell between the two vigilantes.

Raptor didn't say: _When I was a Talon, sparring sessions were to the death_. She didn't say: _I was afraid I'd hurt him. I was afraid I'd hurt you._

"I didn't feel like it," she replied, after a beat of sulky silence. Nightwing sighed again, but before he could reprimand her further, the computer beeped and a transmission from Captain Atom appeared on the holographic screen.

" _Emergency Alert,"_ he announced. " _United Nations Headquarters is under attack."_ Mal was studying a smaller screen just below the transmission, and he turned towards Nightwing as the leader walked up.

"Beta's only two blocks away," he told the nineteen year old. Nightwing nodded, and turned to address the other hero on the screen.

"Captain Atom, the Team's Beta squad is in the vicinity," he informed the older hero. Nightwing paused for a second and then added. "Raptor will rendezvous with them at the UN to help."

"I will?" Raptor asked, from where she was hovering just behind Mal's shoulder. "Is that an _order_?"

"You wanted something to do," Nightwing reminded her. Raptor sighed and nodded. She pressed the comm. in her ear to turn it on.

"Raptor to Batgirl," she said, tilting her face up to the ceiling. "I'll meet you and Wonder Girl at the UN." Instead of waiting for a response, she turned her comm. back off and jogged towards the Zeta Tube, her long, braided hair bouncing against her back. As the machine powered up ( _Recognized: Raptor: B-One-Five_ ), Nightwing called after his sister.

"And stop antagonizing everyone! _That's_ an order."

"Yes, sir," Raptor saluted her brother as the glow grew stronger around her. "I'll be sure to _t_ _agonize_ people from now on instead." Nightwing shook his head, but he couldn't help but to grin as his sister disappeared.

* * *

 **NEW YORK CITY**

 **January 1, 18:23 EST**

Raptor stepped out of an abandoned, out-of-order phone booth in a New York City alleyway across from the United Nations Headquarters. She ran out of the alley, and studied the building, trying to figure out where her teammates were. Raptor touched a control on her belt and her domino mask responded, zooming in on the building to her a closer look.

When Raptor had been a Talon, she had worn the typical ensemble – a uniform with a horned cowl with goggles and a beak. When she'd become Raptor, Nightwing had persuaded her to ditch that outfit in lieu of one more similar to his. She had forgone the cowl, and in its place added a domino mask like her brother's. Across her chest and shoulders, where Nightwing had his bright blue wing design, Raptor had a gold logo of an owl with its talons stretched outwards, like it was about to attack.

However, she still employed some of the technology she had used during her time as the Talon. The binocular function in her domino mask was one of them, and the other was her gauntlet. One of the hands was covered with a black glove, and the other one was a gold gauntlet with a grappling blade. She also still used the same weapons she'd used during her tenure as the Talon.

She had one katana strapped across her back, situated carefully so it wouldn't get in the way when she flipped or ran. Her utility belt was equipped with dozens of throwing knives, and she had two shorter, foot-long daggers in a holster on either thigh, meant for close combat.

She drew one of these daggers now, and aimed her gauntlet carefully. She had just seen the windows in one of the rooms of the building shatter, and then a shape had swung into the room. Raptor could make an educated guess that that was where the struggle was going down.

She shot the grappling hook above one of the broken windows and swung into the room, rolling expertly to avoid stabbing herself with either weapon.

"Nice of you to show up!" Wonder Girl grunted teasingly as she blocked a punch from her opponent. Raptor flicked her wrist, and the throwing dagger flew forwards with scary accuracy. Despite its razor-sharpness, the blade barely nicked the foe's tough skin. Raptor studied him curiously. Either he was really into make-up, or he wasn't of this world.

"Wonder Girl, Raptor, keep him busy," Batgirl commanded. "I'll get Secretary General Tseng to safety." Wonder Girl smirked, falling back into line with Raptor. The blonde girl punched her fist into her other hand.

"All over it, Batgirl!" She replied. Raptor just acknowledged the older girl's command with a sharp nod. She could hear Tseng protesting slightly in the background, but chose not to concern herself with him. Instead, the dark-haired girl drew her other short dagger and flipped upwards, towards her adversary. She tucked her knees close to her chest and then straightened out when she made it over the alien's shoulder.

As Raptor finished her short descent to the ground, she stabbed each blade into the alien's back and dragged the two daggers downwards, aiming to make a long cut on either side of his back. As soon as the point of either sword pierced his skin, Raptor's opponent reached over his shoulder and picked her up, easily tossing her to the side.

Raptor grunted as she hit the ground, and shoved herself up only to see Wonder Girl receiving the same rough treatment. The alien scoffed and walked away, shouting loudly in his language.

Raptor scrambled to her feet, snatching up both swords and sheathing them. Yelling angrily, she ran towards the alien once more. She flipped towards him, kicking him with both feet before falling to the ground in a crouch. The alien didn't even acknowledge her blow, and instead ripped the doors to the elevator open.

Raptor watched, wide-eyed, as her foe took no notice of the empty shaft and leapt down it, quickly out of sight. She whipped back to look at her friend.

"Wonder Girl! I'm going after him." The Amazonian shot her teammate a quick thumbs-up as she began to pull herself out of the crater her body had created when she'd been thrown across the room.

Raptor shot her grappling blade to the ceiling of the elevator shaft and began the plunge downwards. When she stepped out of the bottom of the shaft, the air was filled with smoke. Coughing, she waved a hand in front of her face a few times before charging through the smoke-filled hallway.

She caught up the alien by the time he reached the room where Tseng and Batgirl were. Before Raptor could do anything, Wonder Girl flew into the room and swept the villain off his feet. He grunted when he hit the ground.

"Hold it, clown face!" Wonder Girl shouted. Raptor sighed; she was a little disappointed that Wonder Girl had beaten her. "We weren't done dancing!" The alien got to his feet. He scowled, clearly irritated by their attempts to engage him in fight.

" _Keasy fem,_ " he growled, stalking forwards. Wonder Girl rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, 'keasy fem.' I've been called worse."

"How do you know?" Raptor asked, smirking. Wonder Girl ignored her teammate, ducking a punch that the alien aimed at her. She shot into the air, and threw her lasso around their foe. While she held him steady, Raptor jumped onto the alien's and threw her arms around his throat.

Grunting, she tightened her grip, but she might as well have been pressing on concrete. He wasn't even slightly affected. Laughing, he plucked Raptor up for the second time that night and then, using the golden rope as leverage, threw the human into Wonder Girl.

In most circumstances, a human of average weight and size thrown towards an invulnerable Amazonian wouldn't have been cause for Wonder Girl to be thrown backwards. However, this alien was extremely strong, and he was also using her lasso to pull her closer towards Raptor before then using the rope to throw them both backwards.

The force of the hit sent Wonder Girl spiraling up into the ceiling, and Raptor falling to the ground, hard. Raptor gasped as all the air left her lungs and winced as her head slapped against the hard ground. Groaning, she rolled over onto her stomach and then slowly got to her feet.

Aiming her gauntlet, Raptor timed her attack until the alien was stumbling due to the small explosives that Batgirl had placed on his collar. She shot the knife and then whipped her wrist, guiding the tether until the alien was tied up again.

Wonder Girl had gotten up from were she'd fallen, and was flying towards the villain, fist pulled back. Seeing this and anticipating the blow, the alien pried his arms from his sides in order to grab her. This in turn pulled Raptor, who was attached to the rope, off-balance.

And before Raptor knew it, Wonder Girl was flying towards her – but not the controlled type of super-powered flying. Wonder Girl's eyes were wide with panic, and she hit Raptor _hard_. The force of the alien's throw sent both girls soaring backwards into Batgirl, and all three were down for the count.

Grunting as she slowly, slowly, pushed herself up, Raptor realized with disgust that she and Wonder Girl had just managed to perform the same fighting tactic back-to-back against the same villain – and it had yielded the same result: defeat. She cursed herself for not realizing this sooner. She was so _stupid._

She turned towards Tseng, and her eyes widened with horror when she saw him dangling in the alien's arms. Batgirl and Wonder Girl had seen it too, and all three rushed forwards.

"No!" Wonder Girl screamed, as the alien grabbed either of Tseng's arms and began to pull. To Raptor's surprise, instead of blood and sinew spilling out onto the ground, there was nothing – nothing but a few sparks and the whine of overworked machinery. "Ew," Wonder Girl said, as the metal shell of Tseng's body ripped open to reveal a small, bright green creature.

Raptor stumbled to a halt, shocked, and the alien – the _bigger_ alien – picked up the smaller one. He smiled in a self-satisfied way.

"The main man's contract is complete," he announced in English. He touched a button on his belt, and it beeped, flashing green. " _Keasy fem_ , your world's your world." The wall behind the aliens exploded, and the heat of the fire and the smoke washed over the three girls. Raptor covered her face and crouched down to avoid being hit by debris, and she could see her friends doing the same.

"Okay," Raptor muttered wearily, rubbing her aching skull. "Have I taken one too many hits to the head, or did you guys see that too? We just fought an _alien_?" Batgirl nodded somberly, studying the ripped open body of the machine Tseng.

"And that's not even the scary part."

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **January 1, 20:17 EST**

Dick knocked on his sister's door. A grunt from inside the room permitted his entrance, and he pushed it open. Karla was lying on her stomach on her bed, her long hair loose around her shoulders instead of braided back. The lamp was on, and her bright blue eyes shown in the dim light as she stared at him expectantly.

Unlike most teenagers, Karla's room showed little about who lived in it. The walls were painted white, and there was almost no decoration on the wall, no clutter on the desk. Her bed was made neatly and all her clothes were put away.

The only thing Karla had on her wall was a poster of the Flying Grayson's. The only other sign of personality was the overflowing bookshelf. Karla loved to read.

"How's your head?" Dick asked. "No concussion, right?" Karla reached back to touch the lump cautiously. She winched a little when her fingers brushed it. Dick turned her desk chair around so he could sit in it and face her at the same time.

"Not too bad," she reassured him. "I have a thick skull."

"Yeah, I've noticed," Dick said drily. Karla rolled her eyes, and turned back to her book. "What are you reading?" Dick asked, hoping to recapture her attention. She glanced up again.

" _Paradise Lost,"_ she said. "John Milton." Dick nodded, and then frowned.

"For school or for fun?" he asked, confused. "I thought your class had moved on to _Macbeth_." Karla shrugged.

"We have. I wanted to finish it." Dick smiled. The school Karla was going to was an advanced school. Despite having missed school for most - well, really all - of her life, Karla was smart. Her biggest problem was motivation - she had all these questions about why she needed to do it, why it was necessary.

She'd skipped her trigonometry class more times than she's gone to it two years ago, and when Dick (with the help of Bruce, because she'd been in Gotham back then) chewed her out for it, she had just shrugged and told him that if she knew how to hack into the CIA, she doubted she'd need to know how to take the sine of an angle. And besides, she _did_ know how to take to sine of angle. Why did she need to go to class?

The point was, it was nice to see her doing something for school on her accord.

"So, school is going well, then?" Karla shrugged again, looking back down at the page she was reading. Dick could see that she had scrawled notes in the margins.

"I just finished exams. I don't know." Dick sighed. Sometimes talking to Karla could be like pulling teeth.

"Socially?" he tried. Karla raised an eyebrow at him, incredulous, and he sighed again. "Karla, do you have any friends? Outside the Team?"

"Do I need friends?"

"Yes!" Dick insisted. "It's – you need – " He groaned, and shoved his hands over his eyes. "You need a normal life, Karla. Like it would have been if none of this – "

"If none of this had happened?" She finished. Dick nodded, and Karla laughed darkly. "Well it did. And newsflash, Dick, if none of this had happened; we'd have grown up in a _circus_. How's _that_ for _normal_?" Dick shook his head.

"But you would have been happy," he muttered, mostly to himself. "At least – not like this." Karla scowled.

"You don't know that." Dick briefly pictured his sister when she was a kid. She'd hardly even been without a smile; she'd been a lot like him – mischievous, lighthearted, and jovial.

"Yes I do," he said quietly. There was a beat of silence, and Karla sighed.

"Sorry," she apologized, sounding genuinely regretful. She didn't like upsetting her brother. "I don't know what you want me to do."

"Yeah." Dick rubbed his face. "I don't know either. I don't know what I should do." Karla sat up, curling her legs into her chest and resting her chin on her knees. She looked pensive.

"Maybe I shouldn't be your responsibility," Karla offered. Dick's head whipped up so fast that he got lightheaded. Karla didn't seem to notice. "I mean, you're only nineteen - "

"You can't go back to Gotham," Dick reminded her. "So what would you do?" Karla shrugged.

"The Cave?" she suggested. Dick shook his head.

"No. Just - no." Dick cut himself off. "Just try, okay? A little harder – at everything. _Especially_ being nice to Tim." Karla scowled, her features contorting at the mention of the new Robin's name. "Karla," Dick said quietly. "It's not his fault that Jason died." Karla's hands curled into fists.

"I know," she muttered, her voice dark with anger. "But he still – "

"Tim didn't replace Jason," Dick insisted. God, how many times had he said those words to his sister? Karla snorted, and when she said nothing, Dick gave up. "Come on," he said, standing up. "Let's go get dinner. The diner should still be open."

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **January 4, 19:53 EST**

 _"Recognized: Black Canary: One-Three; Access Granted: White Canary: A-One-Three. Authorization: Black Canary: One-Three,"_ the Zeta Tube's electronic voice announced. Raptor walked towards the Zeta Tube, intrigued. She'd heard of White Canary before – Black Canary's relatively new partner – but she'd never met her.

The two women stepped into Mount Justice. Black Canary strode forward, but the girl that had to be White Canary hung back, looking around in awe.

"Hello, Raptor," Black Canary greeted the teenage girl. She glanced backwards. "Sara! Come here." The teenager jogged forward, and Raptor seized her up. The two women were clearly sisters – they had the same thick blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. White Canary/Sara was dressed in a white jumpsuit with a halter neck and a long white jacket. She offered Raptor a cool look, clearly appraising the other teen in a similar way.

"Hello," White Canary said. Raptor nodded shortly. The sound of footsteps made her head turn, and she saw Nightwing coming up to join them.

"Black Canary, hello," Nightwing greeted the older hero amiably. He then turned to the younger girl. "White Canary – I heard you might be joining us today. "You're just in time for the briefing." White Canary's eyes gleamed.

"Cool," she said. "So I get to go on a mission? Just like that?" Nightwing glanced at Black Canary, who nodded.

"Yes," Nightwing said. "Hopefully, we'll be able to start you off slow. But it's all hands on deck right now, and with a few of us off-world, we could use the extra help." As he spoke, the remaining members of the Team began to gather around. "The League and the Team will hit all fourteen Krolotean Zeta locations simultaneously. Your priorities are to destroy all Zeta Tubes or Platforms and search for any humans that the aliens may have abducted. As always, Mal is Ops Manager, coordinating comm. from here."

"Come on, give me Alpha," Lagoon Boy muttered under his breath. Raptor rolled her eyes, and then felt bad, remembering what Nightwing had asked her the night before. But did it really count if Lagoon Boy hadn't seen?

"Wonder Girl, you and I are Alpha. Assignment – Philadelphia."

"Yes!" Wonder Girl hissed under her breath, pumping her fist in quiet excitement. Lagoon Boy, on the other hand, was less than excited.

"Neptune's Beard!" Lagoon Boy muttered. "Okay, okay," he amended his wishes. "Give me Beta."

"Batgirl, Bumblebee. You two and Wolf are Beta. Assignment – Vlatavastok." Lagoon Boy groaned, his shoulders drooping. He knew that this meant he was Gamma Squad, also known as the soft gig. And it also meant that he was with Raptor, also known as the resident asshole of the Team.

"Robin, Lagoon, Raptor, Beetle," Nightwing listed. "You're Gamma. Take White Canary with you. This will be a good mission to break her in to the way we work."

"Which is how?" White Canary asked, stepping forward.

"Delicately," Nightwing responded. "We're a covert ops team, that's why the other two squads are small. I'm expecting less trouble on this assignment, which means that this squad can be on the bigger side without sacrificing stealth." There was something weirdly backwards about his statement, but Raptor knew that was because most of the people on the squad were rookies. Or _Replacements._ It made sense that Nightwing had put Raptor with them – they'd need _some_ experience to lead this mess.

"Prep the BioShip," Nightwing continued. "You're headed to New Orleans."

"Gamma always gets the soft gig," Lagoon Boy muttered as he and Blue Beetle headed off. Robin and Raptor moved to follow them, but Nightwing called them back.

"Karla," he said. "I'm letting Tim run Gamma."

" _Me?"_ Robin asked, at the same time that Raptor cried: " _Him?"_ Nightwing gave his sister a look, but she plowed on, ignoring him as per usual.

"Dick," Raptor continued to protest. " _He's_ never led a squad before. He's not ready for this!"

"Enough, or you're benched for this mission," Nightwing snapped. Raptor crossed her arms over her chest, stewing silently.

"What happened to ' _all hands on deck_?'" She muttered. She knew she was acting like a brat, but she couldn't help it. Experience on the field and in a fight was all she'd ever known. To not have it acknowledged…well, to put it lightly, it sucked.

"Uh," Robin said. "I hate to agree with Raptor, but...I agree with Raptor."

"This will be a good opportunity to get your feet wet as leader," Nightwing encouraged his adoptive brother. He cast a look at his biological sister and added, "And Karla will help, if you need it."

"Because it's Gamma and you're not expecting trouble?" Robin asked. "Or because you're stretched thin and you have no choice?" Nightwing scowled slightly.

"Just don't die, okay?" Robin's eyes widened. "And no unnecessary risks to the squad," Nightwing added. "That's an order." Robin nodded shortly, and turned to leave. Raptor followed him, still sulking quietly.

"Karla," her brother said. She turned back, holding her arms out in a ' _what-do-you-want'_ manner. "Try. Please." She sighed, nodded once, and then turned to catch up with her teammates.

"Nightwing said delicately," White Canary repeated thoughtfully as the squad walked towards the hanger. "I suppose this would be a bad time to let you all know that on a scale of delicateness, I'm closer to a chainsaw than a scalpel?"

A huff of laughter caught the girl's attention, and she turned. Raptor was walking behind her, and a smile was curved over her face.

It was surprisingly pretty compared to her normal scowl.

* * *

 **NEW ORLEANS**

 **January 4, 21:59 CST**

"I bet we got the soft gig," Lagoon Boy griped from his seat at the helm. "Why do we always get the soft gig?"

"Because you're _rookies_ ," Raptor snapped. She was sharpening her short daggers, which, combined with her scowl and dark attitude, was pretty terrifying. "What do you expect?"

"Oh yeah?" Lagoon Boy challenged. "And what are you then, if you're here?"

"Let's see…" Raptor pretended to rack her brain for a few moments. "Your babysitter?" Lagoon Boy snarled.

"Wow," White Canary piped up, watching the exchange with mild interest. "Always so friendly?"

"Sometimes she's worse," Robin replied. "You get used to it." White Canary looked over at Raptor and was startled by the expression on her face. It was angry, irritated, but it was also…sad? The emotion was gone from her face before White Canary could pinpoint it exactly. There was a moment of silence, and Lagoon Boy groaned again when he saw the source of the Zeta Radiation.

"A toolshed?" Lagoon Boy said in disgust. "Barely enough room for one Zeta. I _knew_ we got the soft gig."

"And yet," Blue Beetle said from where he was reclining comfortably in his chair. "I'm strangely okay with that." He smiled his usual easy-going grin, and then suddenly scowled. "Yes I am." He replied to an unseen, unheard presence. "Yes, I am!" Another pause. "Yes. I. Am!" Raptor studied Blue Beetle appraisingly for a moment and then turned to Robin.

"And you say _I_ have problems." Electing to ignore that comment, Robin contacted Mal instead.

"Gamma Squad to Cave. We're in position." He pressed a few buttons on the keypad in front of him, and a video feed of Mal's face came up.

"Acknowledged, Gamma," Mal replied. "All Team Squads and Justice League Units are in place and ready. Go time." Lagoon Boy pulled the BioShip to a stop, leaving it in camouflage mode, and the squad got ready to step out.

The hatch opened, and Blue Beetle flew down, while the others simply jumped the short distance to the ground. Raptor studied the toolshed in front of them a bit incredulously. She had been expecting this mission to be easy, but seriously. This was a bit ridiculous.

Blue Beetle's arm changed into a cannon, and he fired his sonic beam at the toolshed. It exploded into pieces of wood and left a long, deep scar in the dirt ground. Tools rained down around the teenagers, and Lagoon Boy jumped down to inspect the damage.

"Congratulations, Blue," Lagoon Boy said sarcastically as he kicked a toolbox over, scattering nails and other widgets on the ground. "You took out an actual toolshed." Robin touched the comm. in his ear.

"Gamma to Cave," he radioed. "There's no Zeta Tube here. No Kroloteans. No hidden entrance."

" _Watchtower Sensors still read trace Zeta Radiation from the site,"_ Mal replied, forwarding the signal to Robin's handheld tracer. The teenager took another look at it, and nodded.

"Confirmed," he said. "But the radiation signature is coming from…below the water line!" He took his hand off the comm., cutting the conversation off. Robin turned towards Lagoon Boy and nodded. "You're up." Lagoon Boy dove into the water, and Raptor pulled two re-breathers out of her utility belt. She handed one to White Canary.

"Thanks," the other girl said, popping it in her mouth. Raptor nodded, waiting for Lagoon Boy's signal that he had found the source of the radiation. It didn't take long. The remaining teenagers dove into the water, swimming towards the bottom of the lake. They followed Lagoon Boy through a tunnel that was way too symmetrical to be natural – it had to be man-made.

Or, in this case, _alien_ -made.

Lagoon Boy swelled up in order to pry the metal door open long enough for them to swim through. When it was opened, it revealed a metal tunnel with all sorts of glowing lights illuminating the dark water.

After a few minutes of swimming silently, the teenagers broke the surface. Raptor's eyes widened when she saw what they'd stumbled upon. A _giant_ Krolotean base of operations.

The little creatures were everywhere, their screechy language echoing off the walls of the giant room. The whole place was filled with unfamiliar technology, and it was lit strangely – a greenish light.

"Gamma to Cave," Robin reported, slightly breathless. "We hit the Mother Load. Huge base. Alien Tech. Multiple Zeta, uh, Platforms. And more aliens than I can count." Raptor looked around as Robin gave his report. She glanced at White Canary, wondering how the other girl was taking this - it was only her first mission, after all. Her eyes were huge, and she let out a low whistle at the sight.

" _Acknowledged,"_ Mal said. " _We'll send back-up. Until then,_ lay low." Blue Beetle made a choking sound and then spoke.

"That may be _un problema, ése_ ," Blue Beetle commented. He pointed to a screen in the center of the room that was clearly displaying the five teenagers where they'd been trying to hide. White Canary turned to look, confused as to what was filming them.

The answer was an odd looking alien camera. It had wings, and it was floating just above them. The room filled with the angry, screeching-clicks of the Kroloteans. All of the little aliens immediately stopped what they were doing and ran at the teens.

Raptor summed it up pretty eloquently.

"Well, _fuck."_

* * *

"Form up!" Robin ordered, leaping to his feet. "Blue, you have our six." Raptor unsheathed her two short daggers for close combat, and both White Canary and Robin pulled out long, collapsible staffs. Robin's was electrified; Canary's wasn't.

" _Sí, hermano!"_

"Stay liquid, minnows!" Lagoon Boy quipped, rushing forwards. Raptor twirled her blades in her hands and then jumped forward, landing in the middle of the fray. She knocked the Kroloteans aside easily, kicking the ones at her feet and slashing at the ones that jumped higher. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, and all of her muscles relaxed.

 _This_ was easy. _Fighting_ was natural.

Flipping forward, Raptor knocked a few Kroloteans away that were sneaking up behind White Canary. The blonde shot Raptor a quick smile, swiping more aside with her staff. She was pretty handy with the thing.

"Thanks."

Blue Beetle began to fire his sonic cannon at the Kroloteans, taking them out in waves. After a few seconds of this, one of the Kroloteans not fighting – it seemed to be the one in charge, as it was wearing some sort of sash – snarled something in its language to the other Kroloteans.

At once, the aliens approaching Blue Beetle stopped short and turned tail, running away in the other direction as fast as they could. And not even towards the other heroes – to the Zeta Platform.

Lagoon Boy knocked another few Kroloteans aside with a grunt, and then called up to Beetle. "They really don't like you!" The Atlantean called. "I'm a little jealous!"

"He said what?" Blue Beetle responded, eyes wide. Raptor stopped, glancing up at her teammate. Something wasn't right.

"I said, I'm jealous!" Lagoon Boy repeated, clearly thinking that Blue Beetle's confusion was directed at him. "Don't rub it in!" Blue Beetle shook his head, waving off Lagoon Boy's explanation.

"No, not you! That _jefe_ over there." Blue Beetle pointed to the Krolotean with the sash, who was currently beckoning the other aliens onto the platform, urging them to go faster.

"You can understand them?" White Canary asked, surprised, kicking a Krolotean aside.

"How?" Robin added, equally shocked.

"I – I don't know exactly," Blue Beetle responded. "But I can. _Jefe_ is ordering all the Kroloteans to Zeta off-world. He's setting this base to self-destruct in four minutes!" Raptor glanced at the small alien who was typing something onto one of the large, central computers.

"Then we're getting out," Robin ordered, backing up to the waterline. "Anything else I need to know?"

" _No sé,_ " Blue Beetle admitted, landing next to the other teenagers. "He said something about 'sacrificing the play-things below?'" Robin frowned and shook his head, not comprehending the statement.

"Playthings?" He repeated under his breath. Raptor's eyes widened.

"Repla – Robin!" She shouted. "The abductees!" Robin nodded, having come to the same conclusion.

"Three minutes thirty, _ése,"_ Blue Beetle reminded them. "And then boom." Robin nodded again, deliberating slightly. He almost wished Raptor was in charge to make the call. But then...he knew what call she'd make.

"Nightwing said no unnecessary risks to the squad," he murmured. He glanced up, suddenly determined. "But this _is_ necessary."

"Of course it's necessary," Raptor snapped at the younger teen. "It was part of the freaking mission plan. Now can we get on with it before we all die and then I posthumously get blamed for it?"

"Below!" Robin shouted to the Squad and shooting a glare at Raptor. He was good at multi-tasking, especially when it came to giving Raptor dirty looks. "We have to get below!"

"There!" White Canary cried suddenly, pointing to a few tunnels in the wall opposite from them. A steady stream of Kroloteans were running out of it, towards the Zeta Platform.

"Beetle on point!" Robin shouted. "Go!" Blue Beetle's wings shot out of his back, and his arms formed into a battering ram. He flew low to the ground, knocking away any Kroloteans that he ran into in order to clear the path for his friends. One of them saw him coming and turned around, scrambling back down in the tunnel it had just come from.

"Grab him!" Robin shouted as the creature tried to scramble away. Raptor lunged forward, her reflexes quick, and snatched up the alien. It squirmed in her grasp and her lip curled as it screeched at her. She handed it unceremoniously to Blue Beetle.

"Here you go," she said. He stared at her.

"Why me?" He protested, not taking it.

"You can understand it, can't you?" She shot back, shoving it towards him. Sighing, Beetle took the squirming alien and gripped to firmly by the scruff of its neck in order to limit movement. He studied it distastefully.

"Hello?" Someone called in English. A human – the abductees. "Is someone there? Please, get us out!" Robin and Raptor ran towards the cage of abductees, the other three following closely behind them.

"It's Robin, the Boy Wonder!" One abductee noted with relief. "And Raptor, too!"

"Thank heaven!" Another said. Then when they caught sight of Lagoon Boy and Blue Beetle, along with the Krolotean, they shrunk back in fear. Raptor soon realized why.

"More aliens!" One shouted, terrified.

"Go away!" A woman screamed. Blue Beetle stopped short, offended, and White Canary laughed.

"Hey, we're not aliens!" He protested. The Krolotean hissed, and Blue spared it a glance. "Okay, well, he is. But we're not!"

"Lagoon Boy, get this open!" Raptor said, motioning to the cage. There was no lock to pick, and any bombs she or Robin had weren't precise enough - they could hurt the abductees. The Atlantean swelled up, and as he did so, the people inside the cage shrieked and shied away from him.

Lagoon Boy yelled and managed to pull the cage apart. He shrunk back to his normal size, and the abductees opened their eyes cautiously. They looked around, seeming surprised that they were still in one piece.

"Thank you," one of them said, sheepishly. "We didn't mean – "

"It's fine," Lagoon Boy reassured him, patting the man's shoulder. "I get that a lot, chum."

"Hey. Uh, maybe you should ask him the fastest way out," White Canary said to Blue Beetle, pointing at the Krolotean. Blue Beetle stared back at her, eyes wide.

"Dude, I don't speak the – " he cut himself off. "Wait, you can?" He asked the unseen presence. "Well, what are you waiting for?" The four teens exchanged perturbed looks as Blue Beetle continued his conversation with no one.

"Blue's an…odd little fish, isn't he?" Lagoon Boy asked. They watched as he pointed at the Krolotean still dangling from his hand and screeched at it. Clearly, the alien understood him because it responded, and pointed. Blue Beetle nodded, a triumphant expression on his face and turned back towards his friends. He started to screech at them before realizing his mistake.

" – I mean, this way! Come on!" Raptor hung back, making sure all the abductees were following the heroes out before bringing up the rear. As they swam out of the alien base, Raptor realized just how closely they'd cut it – the explosion radiated through the water and she could feel the heat of the fire on her skin.

Raptor broke the surface of the water, gasping. Unfortunately, she hadn't thought to put a re-breather in her mouth in her haste to get out. Her lungs were burning from holding her breath so long.

"You okay?" Canary asked her in concern. Raptor looked at the girl treading water next to her and nodded, coughing.

"Fine." She hesitated, and then remembered that it was polite to return the concern. "You?" Canary grinned at her.

"Peachy." Raptor glanced around, doing a quick headcount. All the abductees were accounted for. Blue was still clutching the Krolotean. Robin and White Canary…where was –

"Where's La'gaan?" Robin asked, panicked. Just as the question left his mouth, the Atlantean broke the surface of the water, whooping as he did so.  
"That's right!" he shouted towards the sky, pumping his fists. "Gamma Squad _rules_!"

"Uh, guys?" White Canary said. She lifted an arm to point to the sky. "We might be in trouble." Raptor followed her gaze. The League was coming in from all directions, those who couldn't fly on a platform created by the Green Lanterns or Doctor Fate.

And the SuperCycle was there too, with the other members of the Team. Nightwing was at the controls, his face blank. The five teens in the water exchanged nervous looks.

"For the record," Raptor said. "I wasn't in charge." Robin gave her a familiar dirty look, and turned to look back at Nightwing. To Robin's surprise, the older hero had broken into a grin.

"Dude!" Nightwing called from his seat. "Way to get your feet wet!"

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **January 5, 02:19 EST**

Raptor stifled a yawn as she left the debrief. She was more than ready to get home.

"Hey," someone said, bumping her shoulder. It was White Canary. Raptor blinked, a little startled. She got along with most people on the Team, despite her bad attitude, but until they had gotten used to her, none of them had gone out of their way to talk to her.

"H – hi," Raptor stuttered. "Um. Hi." Canary grinned, and Raptor blushed. She hated talking to people. Especially people she didn't know. "What?" Raptor grunted, crossing her arms tightly.

"So, how did I do?" Canary asked, unbothered by the other girl's one-eighty in mood. Raptor stared at her and shook her head. White Canary read her confusion. "You know, my first mission?"

"Oh," Raptor said. She brushed her hand through the hairs that had escaped her braid, tucking the strands behind her ears. Her hair felt crunchy and stiff from the lake water. "Why are you asking me?"

"You were the 'babysitter,'" the blonde replied easily. She was still smiling. Raptor shrugged tightly, somehow simultaneously wishing that the conversation would end immediately but also hoping that it wouldn't ever.

"I – uh. You did. You did great, Canary."

"Oh, you can call me Sara," she said. "When we're not on the field, I mean. I don't have qualms about people knowing my secret identity. Unlike you." It wasn't said maliciously, or even teasingly - just in a matter of fact tone.

Raptor pondered this statement. Was it possible to have qualms about people knowing her identity when she most of the time felt like she didn't have one? Often times, Raptor felt more whole, more real when she was in the mask than when she was out of it.

"Okay," the dark-haired girl said, abruptly exhausted. She suddenly didn't have the energy to finish the conversation. "Sara." Sara frowned suddenly, studying Raptor carefully.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt in the mission?" she asked gently. Raptor shook her head. "Oh. Am I bothering you?" Raptor shook her head again, vehemently this time. She didn't want Sara to think that she didn't like her.

"No. It's not you. I'm just – tired." Sara nodded.

"Okay. I should probably go anyways. My sister's probably wondering where I am. Good night." She hesitated, and then added. "And by the way, I knew it." Raptor shook her head, confused. She had no idea what this girl was talking about.

"Knew what?"

"That you weren't a total asshole," Sara responded with yet another grin. "You haven't made a single snarky remark in the last five minutes." Raptor tried for a weak smile.

"Oh, no. You know my deepest, darkest secret. I guess now I'll have to kill you." Sara laughed.

"You could try." The blonde clapped Raptor on the shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow." Raptor nodded, still struggling to absorb the behavior of this new person who acted so differently from the people she was used to.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow." Sara walked away, and Raptor watched her go, considering. People were never nice to her once they got their first impression, and she had no idea what to make of this. And then, all of the sudden, she knew.

Sara was probably being nice because Black Canary had told her too. Black Canary was, after all, the person who had evaluated Raptor right after she'd left the Court. Part of Dinah's conclusion, Raptor remembered, was that Raptor was socially awkward to the point of ineptness. She just wasn't used to talking to people who weren't her superiors or her handlers, people she had to be subservient to – and Raptor _hated_ being subservient.

And after all that time of isolation, it was just easier to be mean than try.

Sorry, Dick.

* * *

 **yeah so karla's a lil fucked up. i'm going to explore her trauma and her relationship with people in general, but especially dick, sara, tim and jason in this fic.**

 **also if anyone was wondering, her name is karla because that's the name of nightwing's aunt, and since he was named after his uncle, and his cousin was named after his dad i thought it a) kinda made sense and b) i just really couldn't think of a good name. sue me, i'm lazy.**

 **and also for anyone that doesn't know sara is from the cw arrowverse shows. i freaking love her character. she's such a badass. she is different in this (a little ooc) because this is young sara who hasn't gone through the league and lian yu and all that shit.**

 **and since i love the legends SO MUCH they are going to make some cameos in here in some maybe unexpected ways (like, ray is not ray palmer. mick rory wouldn't be heatwave. SPOILER: they're sara's friends)**

 **anyways this is probably a stupid story but it is very therapeutic for me because i've had this freaking idea for so long. my b if it sucks.**

 **if u read and u liked please leave a review.**

 **if u read and u hated please leave a (constructive) review.**

 **just please leave a review lol? thanks!**


	2. Alienated

**To Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you** **like it! Also I'm glad that I didn't make Karla _too_ much of an asshole lol. I was hoping I'd find the right balance. **

**To Natalie: Thank you! I have an (unfinished) season 1 story up, and actually have my two OCs from it appearing in this chapter. I'll finish the season 1 story eventually, and although Karla won't be directly in it, it's set in the same timeline.**

 **Important note! I introduce a few new characters in this - don't worry. They are not and will not be the main focus of this story whatsoever. It's just a little something extra. I hope this chapter is not too confusing because of it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

* * *

 **METROPOLIS**

 **January 5, 17:09 EST**

Raptor pulled her heavy winter jacket a little tighter around her, shivering in the frigid air. Snow was falling lightly on the streets of Metropolis, and the walk from the Zeta Tube to Bibbo's Diner felt long in the cold.

Nightwing had deployed her, Jaime, and Karen on an undercover mission. Bibbo had been among the abductees that the Kroloteans had held hostage – but Bibbo had also been running the diner in the duration of time he had been held captive in a cage in New Orleans. It hadn't taken long for them to put the pieces together – a Krolotean was likely impersonating the man.

Raptor pushed the door to the diner open, and warm air flooded out to greet her. When she stepped inside the restaurant, she could see that it was empty except for the fake Bibbo. He was watching Gordon Godfrey, an annoying reporter who was essentially a glorified conspiracy theorist that loved to diss the League and talk about aliens.

'Bibbo' looked up from the TV when the bell on the door rang. He smiled at the three when they came in. 'Bibbo' walked over, holding out a few menus to the three heroes. He motioned to the empty diner with a sweep of his hand.

"Sit anywhere, kids," he told them jovially. When none of them replied or made a move to accept a menu, he looked up, frowning. Immediately, his face dropped in horror and he gasped, dropping the menus and turning away. He vaulted through the window leading to the kitchen, knocking over the cash register in the process. The machine clattered to the ground loudly, and Raptor stepped back to avoid it crushing her feet.

"Subtle," Raptor commented drily, leaping over the counter and running after the imposter. She shoved the metal door that led from the kitchen open, pulling her utility belt out from where it was coiled in her jacket pocket. She slung it across her chest, clipping it closed so that it wouldn't fall.

Nightwing had drilled her about always having her utility belt with her - now it was ingrained, even when she wasn't on undercover missions.

Bumblebee sped past Raptor, already miniaturized. From just behind the two girls, Raptor could hear the familiar whirr that signaled Jaime's armor coming online. Fake-Bibbo glanced back at his pursuers, grimacing when he saw that they were gaining on him. He jumped over a tall wooden fence, disappearing from sight.

Raptor jumped up, springing off the brick wall of the alleyway and flipping over the wooden barrier. Bumblebee flew through one of the small cracks in the wall, and Blue Beetle simply busted through it, shattering the wood.

'Bibbo' was picking up speed, trying to make it to the street where it would be harder for the three members of the Team to find him. But before he could reach the mouth of the alley, the real Bibbo came out of nowhere and greeted his imposter with a punch in the face.

The fraud hit the ground hard, and the man standing over smirked triumphantly. The two men were identical except that the real Bibbo was wearing a red winter jacket. The Kroloteans had clearly done their research well.

"There's only one Bibbo," the real Bibbo said, cracking his knuckles with a smile. "And don't you forget it." As Raptor skidded to a halt in front of the Krolotean and Bibbo, she watched in mild disgust as the fake-Bibbo's chest broke open, revealing the small alien at the controls of the machine body.

It snarled in its own language, looking around. Raptor made a grab for it, but it lurched away from her hands at the last second. Climbing across the alley wall, it landed in front of a sewer vent. Bumblebee aimed her stingers at the alien, firing several times in quick succession.

The alien hissed in pain, falling backwards into the hole. Raptor ran over and bent down for a better look. She arrived only in time to see the Krolotean getting away. In order to cover its escape, the alien set off a fiery blast. Raptor shot backwards as heat exploded from the vent. Blue Beetle grabbed Raptor's hood and yanked her back further, away from a certain death, just in time.

Raptor closed her eyes and screwed up her face as the blistering heat washed over her skin. It felt hot enough to melt her sunglasses – which, by the way, she felt extremely stupid wearing, because it was cloudy outside and also five pm.

"Wow," Raptor said. She glanced a Blue Beetle and nodded at him gratefully, her eyes watering beneath her dark glasses. "Thanks."

" _No problema, chica,_ " Blue said with a smile.

"Boy," Bibbo commented. He was covered in soot. "That practically singed my eyebrows off." Raptor looked at the man, whose eyebrows did in fact look a little scorched.

"Yeah," Blue Beetle responded, eyes wide. "Practically." He turned to look at Bumblebee, who was also covered in ash. "Uh, you got a little soot – " the teenager began. Raptor cut him off, shaking her head. _Rookies._

"Blue! Stop being an idiot, scan for it!" The boy nodded quickly, remembering what he was supposed to be doing.

"Right, right," he said. The eyes of his suit glowed completely orange. "Scanning…nothing. Sorry." He looked at the two girls, dismayed. "He's gone." Raptor rolled her eyes, but before she could make a sarcastic or rude remark, Blue Beetle's disappointed expression stiffened and contorted into an irritated one. "No, it would _not_ have been preferable to vaporize him back at the diner!" Blue insisted. Raptor stared at the other boy, her mouth still open around the beginning of a retort. He turned and saw the expressions of his companions and winced, realizing that it sounded like he was talking to himself.

"Well then," Raptor said, unclipping her utility belt. She coiled it back up and put it in her jacket pocket. "This was a bust." She turned to Bibbo, raising an eyebrow. "How about some pie?"

* * *

 **MALINA ISLAND**

 **January 6, 019:58 HAST**

Two women were crouched silently in the corner of a large Krolotean base of operations. One was blonde and wearing a black leather jumpsuit that had two slits in the back of it - slits that allowed two large black and white wings to protrude from her back. The other was Asian, wearing traditional Japanese clothing with a Katana strapped to her back. The two women were very young – they didn't even look to be in their twenties yet.

The blonde woman was Paityn Wren – Mockingbird, and the Asian woman was Akari Kishi – Kitsune. They were vigilantes, founding members of the Team who had left the only year before.

Mockingbird had returned to A.R.G.U.S., the agency where she'd grown up, after the death of its Director, Amanda Waller. In the woman's will, Amanda had requested the Mockingbird be named director of the agency, and so she had reluctantly agreed. Kitsune had followed her friend.

Ever since she and Kitsune had left the Team, the two of them had traded necessary information with their old friends, but they didn't often fight together anymore. It wasn't convenient.

The two girls were on a stakeout. They'd been tracking the aliens' known as Kroloteans for a few days now, and had finally managed to locate their base. Mockingbird had set up cameras and audio recorders all around the premises and was transmitting it back to A.R.G.U.S. Headquarters live, hoping that the agents working there would have some success and translating what was happening.

They needed to figure out what the Kroloteans were doing on Earth and why.

So far, there was no luck.

* * *

 **MALINA ISLAND**

 **January 6, 20:32 HAST**

Raptor was on the BioShip, listening to Batman as he went over mission parameters. Nightwing was at the helm of the Martian ship, and Batman, Robin, and Batgirl were in the bridge area. Aquaman and Lagoon Boy were in the hold, awaiting the call for their drop-zone. The BioShip was speeding over the ocean at a low altitude in camouflage mode. The Team's hope was to go undetected until the heroes entered the base.

"Remember," Batman was telling his partners. "This is primarily a recon mission. We want to discover all we can about the Kroloteans' invasion strategy before we shut them down and deliver them to the Green Lantern Corps." Raptor didn't answer, but she swiveled two small knives around her fingers in anticipation.

"Approaching Drop-Zone Beta," Nightwing announced. Once the two Atlanteans had made it into the water, he angled the ship upwards. "Drop-Zone Gamma in thirty," he informed the other people in the ship. Raptor unbuckled her seatbelt, getting ready. "Drop-Zone Gamma."

The five remaining vigilantes left the ship. Crouching low to the ground, Raptor snuck over to the Manta Troops on guard. She pulled a little ball out of her utility belt – it was a smoke bomb, but it was a dud – and rolled it gently towards the troopers.

The two she was targeting stiffened, and one pointed their gun at it nervously. Using their momentary distraction to her advantage, Raptor flipped forwards. She knocked one trooper out with a blow to the head, and then grabbed the other one in a chokehold, applying pressure on his throat until he fell limp in her arms.

When Raptor looked up, she saw that the rest of her teammates had managed to take out their respective troopers as well. Even the Replacement.

* * *

Mockingbird watched as the Kroloteans guided panels of metal onto an odd, sphere-shaped contraption in the center of the room. They were clearly building something…but what?

"Mockingbird to Harbinger," she hissed, radioing Lyla Michaels, a senior agent at A.R.G.U.S. When she could, Mockingbird liked to leave Lyla in charge – she was the obvious replacement if something were to happen to Mockingbird, and knew what she was doing. Harbinger was her code name when she was out on the field. "The Kroloteans are building something – it looks like a spaceship of some kind. They might be planning to leave. Are we any closer to gaining even preliminary translations?"

" _Negative, Director,"_ Lyla replied apologetically into the comm. " _We have our top linguists working, but we're still a roadblock."_

"Great," Kitsune muttered from her spot next to her friend. "So this was a waste of time." Mockingbird sighed. She was just about ready to agree with her friend. Kitsune leaned around the corner the two were concealed behind again.

"What are you doing?" Mockingbird asked, pulling her friend back. "You're gonna get caught."

"Trying to figure out what that Manta ship is doing here," Kitsune hissed back. Mockingbird's eyes popped wide open.

"What Manta ship?" Mockingbird asked, scooting forward so she could also lean around the corner herself now. Sure enough, at the water line of the Krolotean base was an unmistakable black and red Manta ship. "How did I miss that?" As the two stared at it, the ramp opened up and a figure descended from the belly of the ship. Both girls plastered themselves to the wall again.

When they did so, Mockingbird stiffened as light footsteps sounded next to her. She was positive they'd been made – and then she realized who it was.

"Paityn?" A familiar voice hissed. Mockingbird's eyes widened, and her shoulders tensed. "Akari?" Mockingbird swung around. She would recognize that voice anywhere, so she wasn't surprised when her suspicions were confirmed.

It was Nightwing. And Batgirl. And Robin. And Raptor.

Before any of them could speak, the soft voice of the Manta Trooper echoed throughout the quiet room.

"Intruders," he said. "Upper level and in the water."

* * *

Raptor watched as Manta aimed his helmet at the waterline, blasting a laser into the ocean where she was guessing Aquaman and Lagoon Boy had been made. After Manta had alerted his troopers to their position, it didn't take long for them to start firing.

Leaping out of range of the laser blasts; Raptor shot her grappling gauntlet up to one of the catwalks. Wrapping her other hand around the gauntlet for added support, she swung forward, kicking the troopers off the platforms to the ground below.

Landing neatly on the wall of the cave, she unsheathed her katana from her back and began to slice at the soldiers and knock them away. One of them crept up from behind, but Raptor stepped out of the way and fired her grappling hook backwards. The tethered knife embedded itself in the trooper's armor. Raptor clenched her fist and pulled him harshly forward so that he face-planted on the ground.

Mockingbird whipped out her staff, knocking a trooper aside. She leapt off the platform and spread her wings, dodging the laser blasts that were fired at her in midair. She could see Kitsune summoning her astral fox as she held her katana in both hands.

As the silvery-white fox shimmered around the Asian girl, the lasers that the Manta Trooper's shot at her bounced off and were absorbed into the force field like form around her.

"What are you _doing_ here?" Nightwing yelled to Mockingbird as she landed next to him, kicking a trooper into the water as she did so.

"My _job_!" she shouted back. She twirled her staff, backing up from the soldier across from her. "Let's discuss this later, shall we?"

Raptor heard a creaking sound behind her and whirled around. Descending down the side of the egg-shaped – uh, _space_ ship? – was a giant, spider-like machine. It had pointed its guns at her. And it was starting to fire.

Rushing towards the machine, Raptor flipped upwards, hoping madly that the guns didn't have a three-sixty degree firing range. She stabbed her sword down into the machine, prying the metal shell open. Once the inner-machinery was exposed, she grabbed a handfull of wires and tore them out. When she did so, the machine collapsed, and Raptor shot her grappling hook up, rising off of it.

" _Nightwing to Delta Squad_ ," Nightwing's voice rang in her comm. " _Enemy is attempting escape. Requesting back-up."_

Kitsune grabbed one of the machines, shoving it backwards. Before she could deal the last blow, a laser came out of nowhere and destroyed it for her. Blinking in surprise, her astral fox wavered as her focus did. She was distracted by Superman, who was holding Superboy, Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl when the four of them flew in from the hole Superman had created in the wall with his laser vision.

"Nice aim," she commented, raising an eyebrow at the wall and then at the destroyed machine. Superman shrugged.

"X-Ray vision," he replied. "I cheat."

"Akari, what are you doing here?" Superboy asked, just as surprised to see her as she was to see him – she'd incorrectly assumed that only the Bats were on the island. But apparently this was a whole blown Team-Justice League team-up mission.

"We'll catch up later," she replied, whirling around to as another of the machines fired at her. The blow only made her astral form more powerful, but it also made it harder to control. She furrowed her brow in concentration, and raised her sword above her head.

"Superman!" Superboy called. "Triple Combo over here." Even as Kitsune focused on destroying the machine in front of her she could still hear Superboy as he destroyed three machines – and then a fourth.

"Quadruple," Superman complimented the other Kryptonian. "Nice."

"Mockingbird to Harbinger!" Mockingbird shouted into her comm. "We've run into some trouble – and some unexpected friends!" She grunted, and pulled a gun of its holster on her thigh. She fired carefully at the shooter of the machine. It exploded, rendering the machine useless. "Requesting – " Mockingbird's report fell short when she saw the face of the head Manta Trooper. She could hear Lyla speaking in her ear, concern lacing her voice, but Mockingbird couldn't process the older woman's words.

Because Aquaman had just knocked the mask off of the head Manta, the enemy that had been calling all the shots.

And exposed the face of Aqualad.

"Kaldur?" Kitsune gasped in surprise. Mockingbird turned to Nightwing, wide-eyed. He looked sheepish, but not particularly shocked. He knew – he _knew_ , and he hadn't told her that their old leader, their old _friend,_ had gone bad. What the hell had happened to passing on intel?

Raptor landed next to the two older teenagers and quickly took stock of the situation. She laughed darkly.

"Well, this is awkward."

* * *

Nightwing jumped off the catwalk to confront Kaldur, leaving a shell-shocked Mockingbird alone with Raptor. The older blonde girl's mouth was literally hanging open, her shock and betrayal written clearly across her face. Raptor couldn't tell if she was distressed that Kaldur was evil or that Nightwing had neglected to tell her that Kaldur was evil.

"Mockingbird," Raptor said. "We have to – oh!" Her sentence got cut short by a small explosion from below that rocked the catwalk dangerously. Raptor gripped the metal railing of the platform, struggling to regain her balance. It creaked threateningly below her, and both girls jumped free of the platform to the ground below just before it gave out.

Rolling to the ground to absorb the impact, Raptor landed in a crouched position on one knee. The explosion seemed to have been a distraction to cover Kaldur's escape, as the Atlantean was nowhere to be seen.

"They're getting away!" someone shouted. It was Wonder Girl. She was running towards the Manta ship, which was leaving the dock and descending into the water.

"We'll stop them!" Lagoon Boy shouted confidently. Before either young hero could make a move, Nightwing's command halted them all.

" _Negative_ ," he said over the comm. " _We have a bomb down here. Alien in origin. I_ cannot _disarm it."_ There was a pause and then: _"All squads, evacuate to the BioShip now."_ Raptor turned towards Mockingbird and Kitsune.

"You guys have a ride out?" She asked them. They had no idea what was happening – their comms. weren't linked up to the same frequency as the Team's was.

"No," Mockingbird replied honestly, seeming a little confused. "I flew us in. Better for covertness." Raptor nodded.

"Come with us. There's a bomb, we're evacuating now." Mockingbird glanced at Kitsune and they both nodded, following the younger girl out of a tunnel. When they reached the sandy beach, the BioShip de-camouflaged and landed in front of them.

When Raptor reached the bridge, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a Krolotean at the helm of the ship and another in the seat on the bridge. The aliens stared at her and Lagoon Boy in surprise, like they didn't understand why they were being stared at.

"Neptune's Beard," Lagoon Boy breathed, staring at the other creatures aboard the ship. One of the Krolotean's faceplamed.

"Hello, Megan," it said in Miss Martian's voice. The Krolotean's shifted back into Martians. "I knew we were forgetting something." Miss Martian's jaw dropped when she saw Mockingbird and Kitsune behind Raptor. "Paityn!" she cried. "Akari! What – "

"We're on a mission," they replied simultaneously. "Not now." Miss Martian nodded, re-focusing on the more important matter at hand - the fact that they were all about to die in a fiery explosion.

"Everyone find a seat," Miss Martian commanded, extra seats growing out of the floor to accommodate the newcomers. "We're leaving now." Superboy glanced around and then shook his head in protest when he realized they were missing someone.

"Wait! Where's Superman? We can't leave without him!"

"He's indestructible," Raptor reminded the clone rather coarsely. "He'll be fine. _We_ won't be." Superboy didn't answer Raptor, but he didn't yell at her either. He remembered how angry he'd always been five years ago, and he tried to be patient with her the way others had been with him.

The BioShip was soon speeding over the ocean as fast as it could, but it still wasn't quite fast enough. The ship got caught in the edge of the blast zone, making the ship rattle. Which caused the people inside the ship to be thrown around wildly.

Kitsune, who hadn't managed to make it to a seat, was thrown backwards. She slammed into Superboy, and the clone wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her up. He gripped the wall tightly with his other hand, trying to keep them both on their feet. Kitsune grimaced, hoping that the shocks would be over soon.

A few moments later, the BioShip made it out of the blast zone, and Kitsune was able to stand steadily again. Superboy immediately rushed to the hanger, probably to ensure that Superman was okay personally.

"What just happened?" Wonder Girl asked, looking around. Her eyes were wide. Miss Martian turned towards the younger girl.

"The Kroloteans were clearly trying to build a new ship," she responded. Lagoon Boy was looking out the window, but when Miss Martian spoke, he pulled his gaze from the ocean to his girlfriend.

"They had to, Angelfish," he reminded her. "It was their only way to leave Earth without their Zeta Platforms or their original ship."

"But was Aqualad helping them escape?" Wonder Girl asked, reminding them all of the million dollar question. "Or luring them into a trap?" Aquaman's face was somber at the mention of his turned protégé. He looked at the ground, his eyes downcast.

"The bomb was of alien origin," Nightwing said, not quite answering Wonder Girl's question but instead addressing another one. "Yet the Kroloteans clearly knew nothing about it. So where did it come from?" Raptor could see that Batman was responding to Nightwing from the way her brother leaned in to listen, but the older man's voice was too low for Raptor to hear his words.

Whatever he said, it clearly didn't sit well with Nightwing. The teenager's face closed off, and he scowled at the ground.

Mockingbird watched Nightwing, her eyes tight. She was truly shocked that he hadn't told her about Kaldur. It took every ounce of self-control for her to not go over and demand an explanation right then and there.

It would have to wait.

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **January 7, 05:47 EST**

Mockingbird and Kitsune were standing in Mount Justice for the first time in over a year. It was odd, to say the least. They were standing clearly apart from the Team, waiting until Nightwing finished debriefing the members of his Team before talking to him. When he dismissed the debriefing session, only Lagoon Boy, Wonder Girl, and Robin left.

Once the rookies had cleared out, Mockingbird stepped forward. She raised an eyebrow at Nightwing, waiting for him to explain. Instead of beginning to talk, however, _he_ questioned _her_.

"What were you two doing at Malina Island?" He asked. Kitsune crossed her arms, staring at their old friend in disbelief.

"Why are _you_ asking _us_ questions?" She cried. " _Kaldur_ is _evil_?" Kitsune spread her hands and shook her head. Nightwing looked down, and then looked at Mockingbird hopefully.

"She's right, Dick," Mockingbird said softly. Everyone there – Batgirl and Raptor, Miss Martian, Superboy, Kitsune, and herself – all knew his real identity. She didn't bother to use his codename. "You should have told us." He still didn't respond, and Mockingbird raised her eyebrows challengingly. "Were you _planning_ on telling us?" Nightwing looked up at her.

"Does it matter?" he asked. Mockingbird stared at him in shock.

"Yes, of course it matters!" She said, her voice raising. "You're not the only person I'd trust to share intel with, Dick," she continued, lowering her voice once again. "If Kaldur had asked me _anything_ I would have told him, no questions asked." She shook her head. "You had no right to keep me in the dark." She glanced at Kitsune. "To keep _us_ in the dark." Nightwing crossed his arms, growing defensive.

"I'm sure there's plenty of important information that you haven't told me," he replied coolly. Something changed across Mockingbird's face. Her eyes tightened, and then closed up. Nightwing had clearly hit a sore spot, for whatever reason.

"You're right," she told Nightwing quietly. She took his hand, looking down where their fingers were intertwined. "But – those things – they're things I want to tell you. Things I need to tell you. I just haven't found the right time." She realized belatedly that her words sounded as though they held a double meaning – she hadn't meant them to. There was a beat of heavy silence, and Nightwing squeezed her hand in apology.

"It won't happen again," Nightwing told her. His voice was steady, but raw with the promise. Mockingbird nodded. She dropped Nightwing's hand and stepped back, resuming professionalism. "Now," Nightwing continued, breaking the tense, charged quiet in the room. "What were you two doing on Malina Island?"

"Staking out," Kitsune replied. She glanced at Mockingbird, who nodded her approval for Kitsune to share more. "We've been tracking the Kroloteans for almost a week now – the Team Squad that blew up the Krolotean base a few days ago helped us pinpoint their next move."

"We were trying to figure out their objective," Mockingbird explained to the group of superheroes. "Trying – and failing. Our best linguists couldn't even begin to understand their language." Nightwing nodded.

"Anything else I need to know?" Mockingbird shook her head. "Okay," Nightwing said. "I think we should call it a night." He looked at Mockingbird. "A.R.G.U.S. will be kept in the loop from now on. I promise." Mockingbird nodded.

"I'll hold you to that."

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **January 7, 19:03 EST**

Karla was sitting on the couch, reading _Paradise Lost._ Her brother was picking up takeout Chinese food for dinner.

When Karla's phone buzzed, she expected it to be Dick, telling her that he was almost home. Instead, it was a call from an unfamiliar number on her 'work' phone – the one the Team used to communicate with her. Karla carefully picked up the phone and answered the call, holding the mobile gingerly, like it might explode.

"What?" she asked, voice brusque and snippy.

" _Raptor_?" It was Sara. Oops. Maybe she should have answered more nicely. She made an effort to soften her voice the next time she spoke – to what effect she wasn't sure.

"Yeah, it's me." Karla paused, waiting for Sara to say why she was calling. When she didn't, Karla asked cautiously, confused: "Is everything okay?"

" _What? Yeah, everything's fine! Can't I just call you for fun?"_ Karla blinked, surprised. That thought hadn't occurred to her.

"Oh – I guess." Another long pause. Karla squirmed uncomfortable. Phone conversations were even worse than face-to-face conversations. "Um…"

" _Blondie!"_ Someone yelled on the other end of the line, loud enough to make Karla wince. It sounded like a male teenager, one with a gruff, low voice. " _Is your girlfriend coming, or what?"_ Sara swore on the other end, and then yelled back to whoever had shouted at her. " _Shut up, Rory. She's not my – "_

"Um, Sara?" Karla asked, cutting off the other girl. "What's going on?"

" _Oh,"_ Sara said. " _I was wondering if you wanted to come hang out with me and my friends. We're in Star City, I mean, but you could Zeta over here if you want."_ Karla was quiet, unsure of how to react. " _Raptor?"_

"I, um. No," Karla said quickly. "No." Was that rude? Probably. "Sorry," Karla added, hoping to soften the blow.

" _Oh, okay."_ Was it Karla's imagination, or did Sara sound a little disappointed? " _That's fine. Open invitation, though. If you change your mind, just text me."_ Karla nodded shortly. " _Raptor? You there?"_

"Oh – yeah," Karla said, embarrassed, remembering that Sara couldn't see her nod. "Um. I got to go." Without saying another word, Karla terminated the call and tossed her phone away from her. As soon as the phone hit the couch pillow, Dick's keys turned in the lock and he opened the apartment door.

"Hi," he greeted his sister. She nodded stiffly at him, but her cheeks were red, like she was flustered. Dick raised an eyebrow. Karla was the least angry and rude to him; around Dick, she was as comfortable and happy as she could be. And she was never flustered around anyone. "What's up?" Karla shrugged, getting up to take one of the plastic bags of food from him.

She set down the bag of food on the kitchen table and began to unload the bag, pulling out warm cartons of rice and Tupperware's of the steaming food. Dick sat down opposite from her and watched as Karla broke her chopsticks apart and began to eat. She always ate quickly, like she was scared that someone was going to take her food away.

"Dick," Karla said after few moments of silent chewing. He looked up at her, raising his eyebrows. His mouth was full. "Did you and Paityn date?" Dick's eyes widened, and he inhaled, choking on his half-chewed mouthful full of moo shu pork. Karla stared at him, eyes wide, and then jumped to her feet. She filled a glass of water and handed it to her brother, and then watched in amusement as he proceeded to guzzle the whole thing. When he was finished, he took a shaky breath.

"What the hell?" he rasped, still coughing. His eyes were watering. "What did Barbara tell you?" He asked warily. Karla shrugged, a smile stretched across her face. She seemed to be amused by his reaction.

"Nothing. But I mean, I've seen you around girls but I've never seen you like _that_." Dick shook his head, looking away. He and Paityn had never dated but there had always been tension between them. Definitely not something he wanted to discuss with his little sister.

"It's a long story," he insisted. Karla watched him for another moment and then nodded, her blue eyes widening.

"Oh, that means you don't want to talk about it," she remembered. Dick laughed. "Or in other words – "

"Karly!" Dick laughed. "Change the subject, please!" She smirked.

"Fine." Karla hesitated, like she was thinking. "Oh, you'll love this. Sara just called. She wanted to hang out." Karla rolled her eyes. Now that she wasn't talking to Sara, it was easier to be mean again. "Look at that. Your anti-social asshole of a sister is making friends. Aren't you pleased?" Her tone was bitter with sarcasm, which Dick elected to ignore. Sometimes you just had to do that with Karla. Dick got up to refill his glass of water, and looked at his sister, confused.

"Why didn't you say yes?" Karla shrugged. She stirred noodles into sesame sauce, but she looked like she'd rather be stabbing them than eating them.

"I was hungry. Besides, she's only being nice because her sister told her to." Dick frowned.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because Dinah was the one who evaluated me," Karla reminded him. "She probably told Sara to be my friend because of – you know." Dick shook his head.

"Karla, you know there's a confidentiality statement between doctors and patients right?" Karla looked up at him over her food, raising her eyebrows. "Dinah told you that, didn't she?" Karla sat back, considering.

"Oh. Maybe she did." Dick laughed, but Karla scowled again. Now she didn't know why Sara was being nice to her. "So why is Sara trying to be my friend, then?" Dick shrugged, taking a sip of water.

"Maybe she likes you." Karla was silent while she pondered this, and Dick took her momentary distraction as an opportunity to steal her egg roll.

* * *

 **STAR CITY**

 **January 9, 16:31 PDT**

Raptor had hung up – the dial tone sounding in Sara's ear was proof of that. A little disappointed, Sara turned her phone off and put it in her pocket. She was disappointed, but not particularly surprised. _Especially_ after Mick's comment. Looking around at her group of friends, Sara crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the boy in question.

"You suck," she informed him. It was not the first time she'd shared this opinion.

"Sorry, boss," he drawled. He was sprawled out over an armchair, his legs hanging over the side. "Not your girlfriend…hopeless crush then?" Sara groaned and flopped down in another armchair. They were at Rip's house as usual, partially because it was huge and partially because his parents were never home. The only time they didn't go to Rip's was when Nate couldn't sneak out, and then they went to his house instead.

"I never said I had a crush on her," Sara protested. She didn't. Not really. She didn't even know Raptor's name – there was no way she could have a crush on her. But she definitely liked the girl.

Maybe because she was drawn to assholes – it did seem to be the case, seeing the group of friends she chose to continuously surround herself with.

"Sure," Zari said, looking up from her computer where she was likely hacking her way into the school's website for the millionth time in order to troll the faculty. Her eyes were wide with faux-innocence. "But you did go on about how pretty she was for, like, twenty minutes, so." Sara pouted. Her friends really were the worst.

"I mentioned it maybe _once_ ," Sara insisted petulantly. She narrowed her eyes at Zari challengingly, but the other girl just hummed knowingly.

Sara looked around at the group of them. Jax was reclining in an armchair, tossing his football up and catching it. Martin Stein, Jax's host brother, was sitting next to him, studying. Ray and Nate were also doing homework, with Nate absent-mindedly sliding his grandfather's dog tags back and forth on the chain around his neck. Amaya was listening to music, her head tipped back onto her Nate's shoulder.

Mick was playing with his lighter, as usual, flicking the flame on and off. Zari's hands flew across her computer as she squinted at the screen. And Gideon was sitting on the ground, flipping through the movies on the bottom shelf. Rip was sprawled across the couch, asleep.

They made an odd group, no doubt about it – but somehow, Sara could picture Raptor with them easily.

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **January 26, 00:10 EST**

Almost three weeks earlier, it was discovered. Five years ago on New Years Eve, six Leaguers had gone missing for sixteen hours while underneath the mind control of Vandal Savage. Recently, the League had finally figured out what they had done in those sixteen hours – been sent to a planet called Rimbor and had gone on a rampage, pillaging and destroying everything in sight.

Ever since that night, there have been a criminal warrant for all members of the League in that planetary system. If any of them went there, they would be detained.

Now, they were going back to Rimbor for a trial to clear the name of the Justice League. Which meant that eight of the big guns of the League – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Martian Manhunter, Hawkwoman, and a Green Lantern, plus Hawkman, who insisted on accompanying his wife, and Icon, who would serve as their advocate – would be off-world for who knows how long.

Raptor stood with Nightwing, Batgirl and the Replacement on the beach behind Mount Justice, hanging back slightly. She wasn't really that close to Batman – she knew him more by association than anything else – and felt a little awkward. Still, she was worried about him. She had no idea if they'd ever see each other again after tonight.

Not that she'd tell him that. Or show it. God, how the hell was she more emotionally constipated than Batman? That had to be some new kind of achievement, right?

"Be careful, all right?" Nightwing requested his foster father gravely.

"I was about to say the same to you three," Batman replied, his voice just as somber. "I fear we leave the more dangerous task here on Earth." Nightwing looked at the others gathered around him and then smiled, easy-going as always, even in the face of danger.

"We'll manage," he promised. Batman nodded once, and before anyone could say more, Green Lantern turned to the others.

"Time to go," he called. Batman turned and strode away, his cape billowing out behind him rather dramatically. Raptor watched him go, her heart pounding.

The Leaguers stood in a huddle, Green Lantern in the front and center of the eight. The man raised his hand with the ring up in a fist, and a glowing dome surrounded the eight heroes, separating them from the others on the beach.

"May the gods be with you all," Wonder Woman prayed. Raptor watched as the green dome transformed into a large jet, and then took to the air. Sand whipped around the faces of the heroes left behind as they watched their friends and mentors leave, possibly never to return.

* * *

Back inside the mountain, Nightwing pulled up the holographic computer, entering in the code for a transmission. He had promised that he'd keep A.R.G.U.S. in the loop, and besides, with the Leaguers off world, they were going to need all the help they could get.

Nightwing hadn't neglected to tell them about Kaldur's defection maliciously. It wasn't that they were on bad terms or that they'd cut contact off. Nightwing and Mockingbird still often traded intel that they thought was important for the other to know. And although this was important to know…Nightwing had found himself hanging back.

It was just a little awkward, considering that one of Mockingbird and Kitsune's main jobs was to lead a task force that consisted of incarcerated criminals that were deemed expendable. The task force, nicknamed the Suicide Squad, had been created to take on high-risk missions that were considered simultaneously too dangerous and too insignificant for the Team or the League to concern themselves with.

In other words, Mockingbird and Kitsune were consistently put in near-death situations because someone had decided that their former teammates were too important to be put at risk, while they were expendable enough to be.

It didn't matter that that someone was usually Paityn herself - Nightwing still hated to think about it. The thought of him telling Mockingbird something that could lead to one of these high-risk missions made his stomach turn. He couldn't stand the thought of her or Kitsune dying because of him.

He hadn't considered that not telling her could have turned out dangerously as well.

Sighing, Nightwing pressed a few buttons on the keypad to send the transmission.

* * *

 **A.R.G.U.S. HEADQUARTERS**

 **January 26, 00:33 EST**

"Director Wren?" someone called. "Incoming transmission from Mount Justice." Paityn looked up from the screen that she'd been bending over, checking on the whereabouts of some agents who'd run into some trouble in Tahiti. She hadn't heard from Nightwing or the other members of the Team in the last few weeks. She wondered what information Nightwing was going to pass on.

"Put him on," she commanded, walking closer to the screen. The screen blinked, and Nightwing's face filled the monitor. "Nightwing," she greeted her old friend, smiling slightly. She couldn't help it. She missed him.

" _Paityn_ ," he said. He spoke stoically, but his mouth formed her name familiarly. He looked around at the crowded room. " _Uh, the information I have is slightly sensitive. Permission to tell you solely?"_ The blonde raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. This was odd.

"Nightwing, I'm the director of A.R.G.U.S. now," she reminded him. "I can't promise any information you tell me will remain confidential among my agents." Nightwing looked at her pleadingly and she sighed, acquiescing. "Fine. Clear the room," she ordered the Ops Mangers in the Central Control. She looked back at Nightwing. "No promises," she warned him again. Nightwing nodded.

" _Understood,_ " he said as the last person closed to door behind her. " _We recently discovered what happened in the missing sixteen hours on New Years Eve five years ago."_ Paityn blinked, startled. She'd never forgotten about that unaccounted-for time, but she'd always assumed that the mystery of what had happened would never be solved. " _Those six Leaguer went to a planet called Rimbor, where they pillaged the planet, all while announcing that they were the Justice League of Earth and everyone should beware."_ Nightwing looked at her. " _I'm telling you this because those six Leaguers along with Icon and Hawkman have left Earth to go to trial in order to clear their names. An off-world trial. I don't know how long they'll be gone."_

Mockingbird sat down in one of the chairs, mind reeling. Eight Leaguers, _gone._ And what if they were proven guilty? They'd probably never come back. Shaking her head to get rid of these thoughts, she looked back at Nightwing.

"Thank you," she told him, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "I appreciate you telling me this." Mockingbird licked her lips nervously. "I – I will need to tell some of the other highly-ranked agents of this development. They can be trusted. I promise."

" _Okay,"_ Nightwing said. He smiled at her reassuringly. " _Stay whelmed, Paityn. We'll be fine."_ He hesitated, like he wanted to say more but then decided against it. " _Nightwing out."_ The transmission blinked off, and Mockingbird took a deep breath.

She left the Central Control Room in search of Akari. She needed to talk to her friend, and then she needed to call a meeting with the senior agents to discuss this. Paityn walked towards the lounge, and found Akari sitting at a table, nursing a cup of coffee. Her friend looked up when she walked in.

"What's up?" Akari asked, raising an eyebrow. Paityn walked over to the coffee machine, filling a mug herself. She already knew that it was going to be a long night. Paityn rubbed the bridge of her nose as she answered with a heavy sigh.

"Eight members of the League are off world. Long story – it has to do with missing sixteen hours. I'll call a meeting and explain everything in a little bit. I just need to breath for a little." Akari nodded, taking the information significantly more calmly than Paityn had.

"Nightwing called?" she asked. Paityn nodded affirmatively.

"Nightwing called." Akari was watching Paityn carefully, and the blonde tensed. She knew what was coming next.

"Did you – tell him?" Paityn sighed, remembering her words to Nightwing back at the Cave. _I just haven't found the right time._

"No," Paityn murmured. She closed her eyes and took another sip of coffee. "I didn't." Akari made a noise of disapproval, and when Paityn looked up, her friend's fox eyes were burning. "I know," Paityn sighed. "I should tell him." Paityn leaned forward and rested her forehead on the table. She was exhausted.

"Paityn," Akari said, gently. "You _have_ to tell him."

* * *

 **okay so i promise, promise, promise that akari and paityn are not going to be in this story too much. i don't want to make it confusing.**

 **also, as u may have noticed, nightwing and paityn are have romantic tension. this will** **NOT**

 **anyways, please leave a review and tell me what you think! i appreciate the feedback so much!**


	3. Salvage

**To Guest: No idea why, but my A/N about that at the end of last chapter got cut off for some reason. To answer your question, no, it's not. They're just friends with tension that I'm not going to develop, sorta like Batgirl and Nightwing. It just like...adds flavor? Besides, Paityn is barely going to be in the story - at this point in my planning, her role in this chapter is the biggest role in a chapter she'll get. She just needs to be here for ~reasons~ which I sort of tried to imply in the last chapter. I know it sounds kind of like she's going to confess she's deeply in love with him or something, but that's _not_ what she's talking about. If you even think that's too much/cliche, sorry!**

 **The Goldenhand: thank you so much! here it is :)**

 **also here's a trigger warning: brief mention of suicide in this chapter. please be warned.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **February 13, 21:29 EST**

Raptor was sitting on the edge of a skyscraper in her city, her chin propped in her hand as she studied the city below. She was bored – _really_ bored. The patrol had been slow that night, and Nightwing had left abruptly about ten minutes ago, telling Raptor that she could handle the rest.

And there was no doubt about that – except for the fact that there wasn't anything _to_ handle.

Groaning in frustration, Raptor beat her heels against the side of the building. She considered calling Sara. It was only six-thirty in Star City, and it was a Friday. She was sure that Sara and her friends would be doing something. Raptor pulled out her phone and dialed the other girl's number.

But her fingers hesitated over the call button. She had hung out with Sara and her friends several times in the past few weeks, but she'd always waited for Sara to invite her. And besides, Raptor was loath to admit that she enjoyed spending time with people, even though she did. Sara's friends were...interesting. But surprisingly, they tolerated her.

Her hand fell from her phone and she clicked it off as she decided against calling. Sara was probably busy, anyways. Sighing, Raptor surveyed the ground again. To her surprise, there was something that piqued her interest.

Across the street, Raptor recognized two Intergang agents as they climbed into a white van. One of them - it looked like the _boss,_ if she was remembering correctly - was carrying a suspicious looking briefcase. It didn't look of this world.

And since Intergang was an organized crime group that specialized in the trafficking of alien tech and weapons, the briefcase being an example of said tech was highly likely. And since the bomb on Malina Island last month had been _also_ alien tech, Nightwing had told several of the senior members of the Team to keep an eye out for any noise from the criminals.

Raptor hesitated, considering. When Nightwing had left, he had implied that she was to continue patrol. But nothing was really happening, and besides, would he really tell her not to pursue two people of interest? No, he wouldn't.

Raptor stood up, her mind made up. She was going after them. She balanced on the edge of the roof, her toes just hanging over the edge of open air. She smiled, shivering in anticipation. A tingle went up her spine – she loved this feeling. She loved the rush of adrenaline she got from heights, from falling and flying.

Raptor aimed her grappling hook and stepped off the roof.

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **February, 21:51 EST**

Jaime, Mal, Conner, M'gann, and La'gaan were watching the Zeta Shield feed in the briefing room of the Cave. Garfield was there too, but he was studying with his tutor.

Adam Strange and Eduardo Dorado were addressing the final preparations for the Zeta Shield in Taos. After receiving the go-ahead from Captain Atom, who was also watching live from the Watchtower, Strange activated the satellites.

" _Congratulations,"_ Adam Strange announced after a moment. He was grinning broadly, pleased that the development had gone so smoothly. _"The Zeta Shield is now operational."_

"Absolutely historic," La'gaan gushed, his arm around M'gann. "Professor Carr!" He turned to where Garfield was studying with his tutor. "You should have your Cave-School pupil write a term paper on this." Gar looked up, scowling at the suggestion the Atlantean had made. He made a slashing motion across his throat, quietly telling La'gaan to shut up. "With this Zeta Shield in place," La'gaan continued, ignoring Gar's threat. "No alien can teleport to our world from off world." He turned to M'gann. "Even your Strange friend won't be able to travel to and from Raan without prior approval." Conner shrugged, evidently not as impressed as La'gaan was.

"Shields great," he allowed. "But it won't stop a space ship or a boom tube." Jaime frowned, confused. He had never heard of the latter before.

"What's a boom tube?" he asked, looking at Mal and Superbly for an answer. Before anyone could explain, Jaime twisted around, looking at something behind and below him. He listens for a moment and then scowled. He started talking again, answering the unheard explantation. "Not compatible with _what_?" He shouted at the invisible voice. He sounded irritated. "I swear, I don't understand _half_ the things you say!" Mal gave Jaime an appraising look and shook his head.

"Feeling's mutual," the older man assured the teenager, only half-joking. Jaime sighed, looking at the ground. Conner turned to Mal, ignoring the interaction that had just taken place.

"Where's Nightwing?" the clone asked.

"Taking the night off," Mal informed the other boy. "Personal business." Conner sighed, grimacing.

" _Perfect,"_ he muttered sarcastically. He glanced around the Cave, weighing his options. Gar was studying, which no one was supposed to interrupt unless it was a dire mission. La'gaan and M'gann were… _busy._ Conner's eyes fell on Jaime who was standing there with his arms crossed. He didn't appear to have anything important planned. "Tag," the half-Kryptonian decided, grabbing onto the younger teen's hood and pulling him along. "You're it." Jaime yelped, and Mal's eyes widened as he watched the two boys leave.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Con," Mal protested, holding up his hands. "What are you – "

"Taking the night off," Conner announced as he continued to drag Jaime towards the Zeta Tube. " _Personal_ business."

* * *

 **WASHINGTON, D.C.**

 **February 13, 21:56 EST**

White Canary watched as Roy Harper shot his zip line from a building across the way. He made it to the other side, the building she was currently standing on, but stumbled on his landing, falling onto his face with a grunt. Canary winced sympathetically. Green Arrow stepped up in front of him.

"Hey, Roy," Green Arrow said. He held his hand out to his former protégé, the boy he had helped raise. "Need a hand?" Roy scowled, and knocked away GA's proffered hand.

"No," he snarled, scrambling to his feet on his own. The building was faintly illuminated by streetlights, enough so that White Canary could see Roy's face. He looked awful. His hair had grown out long, and he clearly hadn't shaved in a while. His frame was thin and haggard, like he hadn't had much to eat lately. Even his uniform was ripped and dirty.

White Canary's heart clenched as she watched the boy she'd grown up idolizing, the boy who was practically her brother (really, if they were going of relationships, he should be her adopted nephew, but so what?). It hurt her to see how far he'd fallen from the man she had once known.

"We think you do," Nightwing said. As he spoke, White Canary followed her sister out of the shadows, coming into Roy's view. He grimaced when he saw all his friends, not meeting their eyes. Wally West, the former Kid Flash, was there too, along with Jim Harper. Jim Harper was the former superhero Guardian, and he was also the other clone of the original Roy.

"I have nothing to say to any of you," Roy snapped, turning away from them. "Nothing to explain, nothing to justify!" He started to walk away, but Green Arrow stepped after him. The older man reached out, pulling the stack of money Roy had pickpocketed from the storekeeper from his pocket. Roy froze, and Green Arrow held up the money for evidence.

"Nothing?" Ollie asked, incredulous. His tone wasn't quite accusatory, but more so disappointed. Roy paused. He turned around, looking a little ashamed.

"It's not what it looks like," Roy said quietly. "I mean, the store owner won't miss it," Roy insisted, growing defensive quickly. "He offered me a reward anyway! Besides, I _deserve_ it. Guy wouldn't have had any of his money back if I hadn't stepped in." White Canary closed her eyes. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Clearly, Wally couldn't either.

"Dude, are you even listening to yourself?" Wally asked. Roy growled, and snatched the money out of his former partner's hand. He held it up, shaking it at them pointedly.

"Look, I _need_ it," he snapped. His voice was cold and bitter. "I need it to find Speedy, the _real_ Roy Harper." He stressed the word 'real,' making White Canary wince. "A search like that is expensive," he continued, his tone growing accusatory. "Especially when the rest of you have given up." White Canary stepped forward, holding her hand out.

"Roy, come on," she said. "Will you just listen to – "

"I don't want to listen to you, Sara!" he shouted. "I don't need to!" White Canary sighed, but before she could say anything else, Black Canary stepped forward, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. She pulled White Canary back slightly. The older blonde woman walked up to Roy so that the two of them were eye to eye.

"Roy, I know you feel lost," Black Canary began in a sympathetic tone. She was using her gentle therapist's voice. She placed a hand on Roy's shoulder. "But that doesn't mean you're alone." Roy scowled, and stepped away from her so that Black Canary's hand fell to her side. He turned away again.

"I'm not the one who's lost," Roy insisted. He walked away, and Black Canary's eyes narrowed.

"When was the last time you trained?" She asked Roy. "The last time you _slept_?"

"How about the last time you _showered_ or even looked in a mirror?" White Canary muttered, loud enough for Roy to hear her. Black Canary flashed her a look, which she pointedly ignored. "You look like shit, Roy."

"Don't even start," Roy snapped. "I'm in the best shape of my life." Black Canary raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, really?" she asked, rhetorically. She fell into a fighting stance, and launched a kick at him. Roy managed to dodge it, but it was clumsy. Even in the dim light, White Canary could tell that his movements were slower and less fluid than they usually were.

Black Canary kicked him again, and this time Roy stumbled. He struggled to regain his balance and put his fists up in front of his face for defense, but it wasn't enough. With every blow, Roy was stumbling backwards, closer and closer to the edge of the building.

He glanced back in horror as his calves brushed the lip of the rooftop, and his arms wheeled wildly as he fought to regain his balance before he fell to a certain death below. Black Canary reached out again, but this time to grab Roy by the collar and tug him back to safety.

"Best shape of your life?" she scoffed. "That was me holding back. _Way_ back." Black Canary's voice softened again. "Roy, you used to treat your body like a temple," she reminded him. The woman let go of his collar, probably expecting him to stay on his feet, but Roy fell forwards again. His knees slapped against the ground hard enough to make a sound against the cold concrete.

"My body's no temple," he snarled. "It's a cheap knock-off. A _clone."_ White Canary sighed, realizing what was happening. It made sense that Roy's self-destructive behavior ran deeper than just wanting to find the other Roy. It was because he thought he didn't deserve to take care of himself anymore - because he wasn't the original.

* * *

Raptor pulled to a stop a little ways away from the white van. She'd been following it discreetly on her motorcycle for over an hour, and they'd led her all the way to the Hall of Justice. Raptor reached up to her ear, wondering if she should call for help. She decided against it - she wasn't planning on confronting them.

She was just doing a little recon. If the situation escalated, she'd call for backup accordingly. But until then, she was flying solo. Raptor squinted, trying to figure out what the Intergang agents were doing. They'd made no effort to break into the hall, and were just standing outside of it - not even in front the entrance, but at the side of the building.

Scowling in confusion, Raptor touched her utility belt, activating the binocular function in her mask. She crept closer, staying close to the shadows to avoid being seen. Her comm. crackled, and she touched the device to answer the call.

" _Raptor."_ To her surprise, it was Superboy calling. She recognized the clone's deep, gruff voice. " _Beetle and I are right above you."_ Raptor glanced upwards, and sure enough, there was the SuperCycle. She took one step back, gauging the distance. Then she shot her grappling hook up, and then pulled herself into the backseat of the machine, right next to Blue Beetle. Superboy was in the driver's seat, and Wolf was in front of him.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked, looking at the two other heroes.

"Same thing as you, I'd bet" Superboy responded. He pointed to the two Interpool agents on the ground below. "I've been keeping tabs on Whisper A'Daire. She met up with her boss, Ugly, tonight." He turned to look at her. "You know what they're doing here?" Raptor shook her head.

"Shoot, you know, I didn't get a chance to ask," she replied sarcastically. "My bad." Superboy huffed in a mixture of amusement and irritation. He turned to Blue Beetle.

"Can you scan the case?" he asked. Blue nodded, the glove of his armored hand turning into large scanner. His eyes glowed orange, and he pointed the scanner at the two agents.

"Yeah, sure," he replied, unnecessarily. After a minute, he scowled and then protested to no one. "Not compatible _again_?" He shook his scanner with his other hand, hitting it on the side like that would make it work. "What does that even _mean_?" Superboy and Raptor exchanged a look.

"Blue," Superboy said, sounding a little irritated. "What do _you_ mean?"

"Yeah, care to introduce us to your imaginary friend?" Raptor asked, arching an eyebrow at the Hispanic boy pointedly. Blue Beetle took a deep breath and then sighed heavily. He nodded his head.

"It's the Scarab," he explained, motioning backwards with his thumb. "The thing stuck to my spine that gives me the armor. It's an artificial intelligence created by Ted Kord," he continued. "You know, the previous Blue Beetle." Superboy nodded, looking away.

"Yeah, I knew him," he said quietly, remembering. "Good man." Blue Beetle's shoulders slumped.

"So I hear," he murmured sadly. "Guess he was a super-genius or something. Captain Atom figures that the Scarab was Kord's ultimate invention. But the Light killed him before he had a chance to use it."

"Touching as this is," Raptor drawled. She crossed her arms. "Still doesn't explain why you talk to yourself. Don't tell me Ted Kord's _ghost_ is advising you." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. Blue Beetle rolled his eyes, but he didn't seem particularly annoyed.

"The Scarab advises me," he replied. He cracked a smile. "Think Jiminy Cricket - with a _really_ bad attitude. But he can't scan the briefcase for some reason." Superboy thought for a minute, considering his options.

"What about the Hall?" He asked. "Ugly may be about to launch an attack against whoever's inside." Next to her, Blue Beetle's armor whirred. "And it's shielded from my infrared – "

"Scan complete," Blue announced, cutting Superboy off. "Hall's deserted." Raptor watched as Ugly set the briefcase on the ground. He knelt in front of it and popped it open. Raptor she pressed on the binocular function again. Her vision zoomed in, and she blinked, observed the odd piece of tech inside - definitely alien. Below her, the SuperCycle whimpered and her engines revved nervously.

"What is that?" Blue Beetle asked.

"I don't know," Superboy replied, putting a hand on the machine to calm her. "But the way Sphere's reacting, I'm guessing it's Apokoliptan." Blue Beetle shook his head. That meant nothing to him.

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning bad news," Raptor replied. She leaned forward, turning the binocular function off again. "We should probably get down there."

"Agreed," Superboy said. He touched a control, revving the engine. "Let's go." As the SuperCycle got closer, Whisper looked up to find the source of the noise. coming from the engine. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the three young heroes and Wolf approaching.

"Company, boss," she warned him. Ugly stood up, smirking. He'd already prepped the device and was ready to go.

"Too little," he said, changing some dials and then pulling down a lever to activate the machine. "Too late." There was a whirring sound, and then the machine turned on. Raptor could see that there were waves of energy admitting from the device, but she wasn't sure what they were doing. They didn't appear to be harmful.

At least not to her.

Next to her, however, Blue Beetle stiffened and clapped his hands to his ears. He shouted in pain, pressing his hands further over his ears as he shook his head like he was trying to shake the noise from his brain.

"Blue!" Raptor cried in concern. She glanced at forward frantically. "Superboy, Blue's hurt!"

"Stay with him," Superboy ordered, swinging over the edge of the seat. "Wolf and I can handle this." Raptor nodded, turning back to her teammate nervously. She had no idea how to help him - there was no sign of injury, and she had no idea why it was effecting only him. Superboy was the one with sensitive ears, after all. She placed a hand on his shoulder nervously, but he didn't seem to notice.

Before Raptor could do anything else to try to help her teammate, she stopped short, her mouth hanging open. Without thinking, she shot to her feet for a better look and nearly lost her balance.

Because a giant monster – it looked like a combination of all the Appellaxian husks that were on display in the hall – had just stepped out of the wall and was standing in front of Superboy. Raptor stared at the beast, her mind reeling

The _three_ of them had to fight this monster, the reason that the _Justice League_ had _come together_ in the first place.

Maybe she should have called for more backup after all.

* * *

"Sphere!" Raptor shouted, as Superboy and Wolf began to fight the monster. Neither of them seemed to have much effect, and it mostly looked like they were trying to avoid being stepped on. She hesitated to help for two reasons - one, she didn't want to leave Blue, and two, she doubted that if _Superboy_ couldn't do any damage that she would be able to. "Do something!" The SuperCycle hummed beneath her, and a gun protruded from the top of the machine.

Sphere fired a beam of energy back towards the Appellaxian. It seemed to either erase the previous energy beam from the air, or at least neutralize it, because next to Raptor, Blue Beetle groaned and then relaxed.

He sat up slowly, holding his head. His eyes widened when he saw what was going on. "What – " he began.

"Come on!" Raptor insisted, jumping over the seat so she was in the front of the SuperCycle. "Superboy needs our help!" She took a few sharp knives from her utility belt and tossed them forward, even though she knew their effect would be negligible at best. They whistled through the air, and although a few of them embedded themselves into the Appellaxian's wooden skin, most of them bounced off harmlessly.

Scowling, Raptor prepared another throwing knife, one of the slightly longer, sharper ones. This time, she attached a tiny explosive to the handle. She threw it again, and this time when the knife hit her opponent, it stuck. The explosive detonated, and the creature stumbled backwards. It had created a small hole in the wooden hide of the creature.

And then, right before Raptor's eyes, the creature regenerated – the hole crusted over and closed up. All the wounds Superboy and Wolf had managed to inflict also healed, and there the Appellaxian was, good as new.

"What _is_ that thing?" Blue Beetle shouted. He sounded bewildered.

"Appellaxian Golem," Raptor replied tersely. Unbeknownst to her, the Scarab had also responded to the boy's question.

"You know, I'm bilingual," Blue Beetle quipped. "And I _still_ don't know have any idea what you just said." Raptor groaned, aiming her grappling hook at the creature. She shot the knife and tested her weight against it. When it held, she prepared to swing over.

"Don't care," she shouted, as she landed on the Appellaxion's shoulder and retracted her grappling hook back into the gauntlet. It tried to shrug her off, but she simply re-adjusted her balance. "Fight, idiot!" Raptor took a few explosives out of her utility belt and began to stick them onto the creature, climbing around its body to avoid the detonations as they went off.

"Okay," Blue Beetle said, laughing. "That I get." But apparently he didn't – at least not completely. Blue Beetle took to the air and aimed his sonic cannon towards the beast, careful to not hit Raptor. Unfortunately even with his careful aim, his attack didn't go as planned.

The teenage girl turned to see what her teammate was planning, and her eyes widened with horror. She held up a hand futilely, as though it would stop him.

"Blue, no!" she shouted. But her warning came too late. He had already fired the cannon.

At first nothing happened; the Appellaxian just seemed to absorb the shock. And then – it redistributed it, twice as strong. Raptor had unfortunately been hanging just below one of the crystal parts of the creature, and the sonic blast hit her dead on.

Raptor flew through the air, the explosives she'd had in one hand scattering all over the ground and causing tiny explosions as they did so. The girl hit Superboy hard – it felt like hitting a brick wall – at the same time the blast did. The two superheroes, along with Wolf and Sphere fell into a pile on the ground.

Raptor hit the dirt and her vision went blurry, like a static-y television set. Her ears ringing loudly – but not quite loud enough to drown out her groan of pain. Raptor rolled onto her side. The world was spinning when she looked forward. She was pretty sure that that was a bad sign.

Blue Beetle was slowly pushing himself off the ground. Even he clearly he hadn't escaped the aftermath of his attack. But before he could get up completely, the Appellaxian stepped on him, crushing the teenage boy back into the soft dirt. Raptor winced, hoping she wasn't next. Her Kevlar suit wasn't nearly as durable as Beetle's armor was.

To her relief – and also dismay, as it meant their enemies were getting away – she saw the Appellaxian arch its back, growing wings. It then bent down to pick up A'Daire and Ugly, and beat its wings a few times. As Raptor watched, it flew off into the night.

Superboy, being the Boy of Steel, was the first to get up. He bent over Raptor, concern evident on his face.

"Are you okay?" He yelled, louder than necessary. She winced, touching her head and then nodded.

"Lower the volume," she told him, accepting his hand. He pulled her to her feet, and the both turned to look at Blue Beetle. Superboy winced sympathetically as he observed the indent that the creature had left around Blue.

"Looks like it hurt," Superboy said. His voice was still much louder than it needed to be. Raptor realized he probably couldn't hear himself – the sonic blast must have messed up his super sensitive hearing.

"It was his own fault," Raptor muttered, irritated. She sighed, going over to check on her teammate nonetheless.

* * *

Green Arrow stepped up to his former protégé. He offered Roy his hand once more, their positions mirroring the start of the conversation.

"Roy, come back to Star City," Green Arrow pleaded. He placed one of his hands on Roy's shoulder and the other around his waist so that he could pull the younger man back onto his feet. Roy let him. "It'll be like old times – you and me, training, fighting crime, just hanging out, shooting the – "

"You're confused," Roy cut off Green Arrow with a sneer, bushing off his arm. "You're probably thinking of the other guy. The _original_. The one you stopped looking for. Me, I'm just – " Jim Harper stepped forward, cutting his 'brother' off.

"We get it," he cut in, sounding slightly irritated. "You're a clone," the former Guardian said. "But you're not the only clone on this roof." He walked up to Roy so that they were face to face. Being clones of the same person, the two were exactly eye to eye. "And I know from personal experience who tough it was to come to grips with being a copy of someone else," he added, more softly. "That's why I gave up my identity as Guardian. So that I could figure out exactly who _Jim_ Harper is supposed to be."

"That's not the only thing you gave up," Roy muttered stubbornly, refusing to see his point.

"Roy," Jim sighed. "You know that we both spent years looking for the original Speedy. And everyone else here did the same. We never found him because the Light didn't keep him alive. It was Cadmus policy to delete the source material." Jim's voice grew somber. "He's dead, brother. Which is all the more reason that you have to live. To honor the Roy that was."

Roy didn't answer, and dropped his gaze to the roof. Anyone else might have thought he was giving in, but White Canary knew him better than that.

* * *

Superboy was piloting the SuperCycle through the air, trying to catch up with Ugly and Whisper. They'd split after stomping on Blue Beetle, leaving no trace behind. The only way they could track them was by relying on Sphere's sensors.

"How are the ears?" Blue Beetle asked Superboy hesitantly. The clone's sensitive hearing had been temporarily damaged by the loud sonic blast the Appellaxian had admitted, and it was clear that Blue felt guilty.

"Fine!" The clone shouted back. He lowered his voice, realizing that his volume was far too loud. "Fine," he repeated himself more quietly. Raptor looked at Blue, scowling slightly.

"What were you _thinking?_ " she asked him, not bothering to sugarcoat her criticism. "Why the hell would you use your sonic against an Appellaxian?" Blue Beetle shrugged. He somehow managed to look both sheepish and defensive at the same time, even through a mask.

"Dude, never even _heard_ of an…apple-laxative before tonight!" Superboy groaned under his breath, and Raptor rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, you freshmen never do the homework," Superboy muttered. He glanced back over his shoulder critically. "Haven't you read the case file on the League's first mission? Haven't you taken a guided tour of the Hall?" Blue Beetle shook his head, looking confused.

"Um...those are rhetorical questions, right?" he asked innocently. Superboy turned to face the front with an annoyed sigh, and Raptor frowned, putting the pieces together.

"Nightwing was the one who made sure I did that," she realized. "Blue doesn't have a mentor." The boy next to her shoulders slumped, and he looked at his lap sadly. Superboy seemed to relax, realizing that it wasn't Blue's fault – entirely. As they sped through the cold night air, he explained.

"The Appellaxians were an alien race of energy beings that attacked Earth twelve years ago. They inhabited elemental host bodies, including one made of crystal, that could _absorb and redirect a sonic attack_." Blue Beetle nodded, now understanding what he had done wrong.

"Oh…" he said. "So, what were they doing inside the Hall?" Superboy sighed, and Raptor stepped in. She could tell Superboy was still irritated.

"The original seven members of the League drove the energy beings off world," Raptor informed the teenage boy. "The empty husks the aliens left behind became the League's first trophies." She shrugged. "Bit conceited, if you ask me. It had been _one_ successful mission." She glanced forward at Superboy. "My question is, how does an Apokoliptan device activate empty Appellaxian shells?" Superboy shrugged, angling the SuperCycle closer to the ground.

"Couldn't tell you," he responded. "But we're closing in. Get ready." Superboy guided Sphere downwards so that they were navigating through the thick, snow-covered pine forest. After a few more moments of silent flying, they reached a clearing in the woods. The two Intergang agents were there, and so was the Appellaxian.

"…that monster doesn't feel anything," Raptor could hear Ugly saying. "And with this thing as my enforcer," he continued, a triumphant sneer plastered across his face, "I can expand Intergang's reach exponentially."

"Wow," Superboy called out mockingly as Sphere descended into the clearing. "Five syllables." Ugly grimaced, backing away from the heroes' descent. "I didn't think you knew words with more than two." Ugly sneered at them, clutching his Apopkoliptan controller to his chest like a lifeline.

"Hilarious," he drawled. "But we'll see who's laughing when I –" Before Ugly could finish his sentence, Superboy was speaking.

"New Genesphere," he addressed the SuperCycle with her proper name. "Jam all Apopkoliptan signals in the area." Sphere beeped happily, and her tires glowed blue. Ugly gasped as the controller in his hands crackled with electricity, and he tossed it away instinctively. It landed on the snowy ground, smoking.

And as if it wasn't destroyed enough already, the Appellaxian Golem stepped forward, crushing the device underneath its foot. It was growling low in its chest, and had turned on the two Integang agents. Ugly's eyes widened, and he backed away from the creature slowly. Whisper A'Daire followed her boss's suit. Both of them looked nervous, probably realizing how dumb they'd been to unleash this monster in the first place.

"Uh oh," Ugly muttered, taking in his now-adversary. The Appellaxian stepped forward again and swept out its hand, knocking them backwards. Ugly and A'Daire went flying back, tumbling to the ground.

In most circumstances, Raptor would have laughed at seeing her enemies' 'pet' turn against them. Now, she was a little preoccupied with worrying about dying as the creature rose to the air on wings and brought its fist down on Sphere.

Raptor tucked into a ball, rolling to the ground so that her padded shoulder absorbed the impact of the fall instead of any other part of her body. She threw a hand over her face to block the snow and dirt that rained over her as the creature landed hard on the ground, throwing the stuff up in the air. Rising to her feet in one swift movement, Raptor reached behind her and drew her katana.

The raven-haired girl rushed forwards, and began to scale the creature like she had last time. She leapt of the ground and landed on its knee. By the time it had swatted at her, she was already moving again. Raptor could hear Wolf snarling as he bit the creature and hung on; his claws digging into the wooden body for purchase. She could also see Superboy whaling on the creature from above her.

Then, as she watched, Wolf was thrown loose. The oversized dog let out a whimper when he hit the ground. Despite being enhanced by experimentation, Wolf was not immune to pain. Before long, Superboy was receiving the same treatment. When the clone landed, he broke a tree in half with his back. Raptor grunted as the creature moved underneath her. Her grip was slipping - it was now or never.

Raptor dug her sword into the wooden skin and began to twist the blade. Before she could get very far, the Appellaxian reached up and plucked her from its chest. It threw her back easily, and then pulled the sword out of its chest with two fingers.

The acrobat managed to land on her feet as she flipped in midair, and dull pain from the impact radiated from her feet to her knees. Her sword landed a few yards away. Straightening up with a grimace, Raptor's eyes narrowed. She had no idea how they were going to fight this thing.

As she watched, Blue Beetle came flying in, the gloves of his armor in their battering ram function. He hit the stone shoulder of the monster and bounced off, landing flat on his back with a groan.

"Ooh," Raptor muttered sympathetically when Blue was stepped on for the second time that night. She took the Appellaxian's momentary distraction to retrieve her weapon. She darted forward to grab her sword and then paused, looking for a weak spot on the creature.

Her eyes fell on the back of the creature, the wooden part. Its upper chest was covered predominantly in stone, but maybe she could access its heart – if it had one – from the back. Before Raptor could either ponder the logic of this further or put it into action, the Appellaxian turned on her.

It swung its leg back and kicked her, hard. Raptor soared backwards. Her back cracked into a tree, and the air rushed out of her lungs. Her sword clattered from her hands, and she slumped forward, down for the count.

* * *

"Raptor," Blue Beetle said, concern edging his voice. The girl still hadn't woken up. She was breathing, but he was concerned that she had a concussion. Or worse. He touched her shoulder. "Raptor, wake up. _Por favor._ " The girl moaned in pain, and he could see her domino mask move, like she was squeezing her eyes shut. Relief flooded through the other teenager, and he sat back on his heels with a sigh.

"Ugh," she muttered, sitting up a little. "Whaz goin' on?" she slurred. Blue Beetle offered her his hand, which to his surprise, she actually accepted. She stumbled a little when he helped her to her feet, and he instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist. She stiffened underneath his touch but didn't knock him away from helping her.

Raptor may have been a prideful asshole, but she even she had her limits.

Blue Beetle helped her limp over to where Superboy was pinning Whisper A'Daire and Ugly against two different trees. Ugly was trying to blame everything on Superboy, which was pretty rich, considering he was the one who had awoken the creature.

"Blue," Superboy called over his shoulder. "Lock them down." Raptor carefully unwound herself from the boy, placing one arm over Wolf so that she could lean on the huge dog discreetly. Her ribs were killing her. Blue Beetle stepped back to calibrate the aim and then fired four staples in quick succession.

Superboy stepped back. Blue's aim was impeccable; A'Daire and Ugly were now both locked to the trees by a large staple over each shoulder that impeded both their movement and their ability to escape. Both of them struggled against their restraints in vain, and Superboy turned away, satisfied.

"Ew… _no,_ " Blue Beetle protested, talking to the Scarab, presumably.

"Blue, Raptor, let's go!" Superboy shouted. Raptor pushed herself up to stand freely, wrapping one arm around her chest protectively. She smirked at Blue.

"Yeah. Fight your inner demons on your own time, man. God knows the rest of us do." She turned and limped towards the SuperCycle, her long braid swaying side to side. When she got to Sphere, she accepted Superboy's hand and he swung her into the seat behind him.

"Demon, singular!" Blue Beetle protested as he followed her. "One demon is enough, believe me!" Raptor snorted, leaned back against the seat.

"Oh, I believe you."

* * *

"Shit," Raptor swore when she saw were the Appellation was headed. It was walking in the direction of a nuclear power plant. "If it reaches the reactor – " she paused, unsure how to phrase the disaster that would ensue concisely. "Well, that would suck." Superboy snorted, balancing against the edge of Sphere as she drove them towards the creature.

"To put it lightly," he said drily. "Move!" Raptor jumped off of the SuperCycle on his command, sucking in a quick breath when her ribs screamed in protest. She landed on the monster's shoulder and jumped off again, throwing three charges as she did so.

Raptor landed on the ground in a neat crouch, admiring her handiwork. The explosions on the back of the creature caused the Appellaxian to stumble forward, right into Superboy's fist. It stumbled again, and Blue Beetle swept down low, knocking its feet out from under him. And it fell – backwards. Right towards Raptor.

"Ah, fuc – " Raptor rolled forward, between the Appellaxion's legs and narrowly escaped from being crushed. She stood up, scowling at Blue Beetle menacingly. "Hey rookie! Little warning next time, asshole?" Blue Beetle shrugged in midair, looking a little embarrassed.

The Appellaxian tried to get up, but as it did so Sphere – in true Sphere form – launched herself at it. She hit the monster square in the chest, and it fell flat once more. Superboy jumped onto the monsters feet, grabbing them and pulling them close together. Wolf had planted himself onto its left arm and was also trying to pin it to the ground. Raptor launched her grappling hook, and wrapped the creature's right arm up. She pulled the tether tight, knowing that her attempt to hold it wouldn't be extremely helpful.

"Can't – hold – this – for – very – long," she ground out, straining against the Appellaxian's arm. Her feet, which she'd planted firmly, were slowly sliding forward as the monster fought to get up. She really shouldn't have been able to hold it at all, but Superboy and Wolf were doing the brunt of the work.

"Blue," Superboy shouted. "Lock it down! Lock it down!"

"Working on it!" He shouted back. Out of her peripheral vision, Raptor could see Blue Beetle's armor making a giant staple shooter, bigger than the one he usually used.

"Work faster!" she spat, beads of sweat pouring down her face. As if in response, a large blue staple pinned the Appellaxian's arm down just above where Raptor had her tether wrapped. The teenage girl relaxed with a heavy exhale, grimacing when her chest smarted in response to her movement and deep sigh.

"Sphere!" Superboy commanded. "Pillbug mode. See if you can take control of it." Sphere responded accordingly, turning into an insect-like machine and taking flight.

As if it was suspecting the attack, the Appellaxian surged upwards, sending Wolf, Raptor, and Superboy flying. Superboy was thrown upwards, and he knocked Beetle out of the air with him. Raptor hissed when she collided with the ground for the fourth time that night.

"Man, this is getting _old_ ," she snapped, climbing to her feet as fast as she could. Which was, admittedly, not very fast at the moment.

"I don't suppose we could just ask it to play nice," Blue Beetle suggested, pushing himself up with a groan. A pause as he listened to the Scarab. "Wait, you mean it's possible?"

* * *

Roy sighed heavily. His shoulders were slumped as he took a seat on the covered fan on the roof. White Canary watched him sadly. She couldn't believe how far her friend had fallen.

"I'm _whelmed_ by all the attention," he muttered under his breath. He looked up, his eyes falling on Wally. Roy's scowl deepened as he checked out the guy – he was dressed in civvies. "What are you even doing here, West?" he asked. "Thought you ditched the hero game." Wally scowled and stepped forward. His green eyes were heated.

"Ditching the game doesn't mean ditching my friends!" he cried. "And before you round back to the 'original Roy' again, let's face the facts. He was never our friend." Roy scowled and looked away. Nightwing stepped to his best friend's defense.

"We've all done the math," he informed Roy. "Speedy was abducted before any of us met." Wally nodded, pointing at Roy for emphasis when he spoke again.

"You're the guy we trained beside, _fought_ beside. You're the only _you_ we know."

"You're our friend," Nightwing finished. His voice was soft. "Just because you're a clone with anger management issues doesn't change that." Wally snorted, a smile lighting up his face. It looked far more familiar and comfortable there than the somber expression he'd previously had.

"Seriously," the speedster agreed. "Have you met Superboy?" Roy shook his head vehemently, refusing to see their point.

"What about you three?" he swung on Black and White Canary and Green Arrow accusingly. "You can't claim that I'm the only one you knew. How can you not want to find him?" White Canary stepped forward. Her eyes were wide and earnest, and when she spoke, her voice was sad.

"Roy, please," she begged. His eyes fell on her. "Growing up you were my _hero_. You were like my brother." She crossed her arms. "And that's all that matters to me - not who was there first. Not who was the original. Just the fact that one of you was always _there._ He was before and you were after. It's as simple as that." White Canary held his gaze desperately. "Please come home." Roy stared at her for a few minutes, heart heavy. He dropped his gaze, tearing his eyes away from her face.

"All done?" he asked, voice still bitter and cold. White Canary stepped back, her stomach dropping. After all that, he still wouldn't listen. "You want to salvage someone's soul?" he asked, standing. "Go get _Kaldur_ to see the Light. From what I hear, he needs course correcting. But leave me _out_." Roy walked to the edge of the roof, putting one foot up on the lip at the edge. He turned to face them halfway, a scowl still etched onto his face like it was carved there. Honestly, White Canary was surprised that his face hadn't frozen like that. "Write me off," Roy finished. "Or don't. Either way, _blow_."

And with that, the archer leapt of the roof, leaving his friends and family who had gathered there to help standing in dismayed silence.

* * *

Raptor's eyes widened when she realized what Blue was doing _again_. He had run up behind the creature, which was busy attempting to destroy the power plant, and had raised his sonic canon.

"Stop, Blue!" Superboy commanded, running forward. Wolf was bounding at his master's side. "Sonics don't work!"

"Didn't you learn _anything_ the first time?" Raptor growled, following the Boy of Steel and his dog. Blue shook his head, lowering his canon so he could explain what he was planning.

"Not as an attack," he replied, turning back to look at his friends. His eyes were wide with earnest. "But maybe – " He cut his own explanation off and aimed his canon again, firing. Instantaneously, it had the same effect as before.

Raptor watched in helpless horror as energy rebounded off the crystal and surrounded her teammate. He yelled in pain, falling to his knees. But he still didn't drop the connection.

"Blue!" she shouted, running to his side. She fell to her knees beside him and reached out hesitantly. She was unsure if the energy would affect her as well, should she come in contact with it. But when she touched the canon with no ill effect, she began to try to pry it away from where it was aimed. Unfortunately, Blue Beetle was stronger than he looked.

"Blue, whatever you're doing, break off before it kills you!" Superboy ordered, reaching over to help. Blue Beetle shook his head, pushing Raptor back with his free hand.

"No," he protested, turning towards them. Underneath his mask, his eyes looked feverish. "It's not attacking! It's communicating – communicating its pain – listen." Superboy and Raptor explained bewildered looks, and both fell back. Blue Beetle turned towards them, his eyes glowing orange again. When he spoke, it wasn't his voice.

" _Where is the stillness of wood, of stone, of crystal, of metal?"_ Beetle lamented, translating for the Appellaxion. " _All this noise, all this life is pain. We sense the power in this place. Power enough to destroy us. To destroy the pain. To be still again."_ Raptor reeled backwards, her heart pounding. Suddenly she was remembering her time as a Talon – her _darker_ times, when she'd had similar thoughts.

"I can relate," Superboy said quietly. He shook his head when Blue Beetle looked at him. "I mean, we can help you." He turned and addressed the Appellaxion directly. "We will help you."

But before they could, out of nowhere, another sonic canon fired. This one was far stronger, and it hit the creature dead on. The sound was loud enough to make _Raptor_ cover her ears, and she could see that Superboy and Wolf were in intense pain as well. Blue Beetle cried out too, not from the noise, but from the canon's affect on him.

With a high-pitched, whining moan Raptor watched as the Appellaxion was destroyed right before her eyes. It spewed bright orange light that made Raptor cover her face. When she opened her eyes again, fragments of stone, crystal and wood were raining down around her. Her heart thumped heavily, and she blinked slowly, looking around.

The scene was suddenly peaceful and dead silent. She heard a groan from behind her, and Blue Beetle's knees buckled.

Superboy caught the younger teenager before he hit the ground. Raptor turned back to face the two of them, and when her eyes met Superboy's, she saw that his gaze was as anguished as she felt.

Fire burned around them as Raptor knelt next to Blue Beetle, supporting his head and trying to figure out how to get his armor off. There was no catch or latch around his helmet. Once he made sure that Raptor was with Beetle, Superboy stood up, looking around – he was trying to find the source of the attack.

Two guards of the power plant ran up. Miraculously, they'd survived everything. One of them immediately began to check the damage of the power plant, but the other turned back to look at the three heroes gathered together on the ground. He grinned at them enthusiastically, not understanding what had just happened.

"Don't know who you guys are," he said. "But you just took that thing down! Probably saved the whole East Coast!" Raptor lowered her head. For once, her throat was too tight to make a sarcastic remark.

"It was alive." Raptor's eyes fell on Blue Beetle. He was awake, thank god. His voice shook as he reached out, like he was still trying to touch the creature, to talk to it. "And now it's _gone_." He paused, and then continued, "Who attacked?" he demanded, looking from Raptor to Superboy. "Who killed it?"

Superboy's gaze darkened, and he looked over the forest. His eyes were cold.

"Someone ugly," he whispered. Raptor frowned.

She wasn't so sure about that.

* * *

She managed to convince Superboy to let them go back to the clearing to check. She doubted A'Daire or Ugly had the kind of firepower to mount an attack to just destroy the creature like _that_. It just didn't add up - for example, the way they'd been so terrified in the clearing.

Besides, she was extremely doubtful that they could have made it out of Blue's restraints. Those staples were _strong._ Superboy was reluctant, however, convinced that the journey would be pointless.

"I'm telling you," he argued even as they rounded the corner back to the clearing. "They're long gone – " Superboy's voice dropped off and his eyes widened when he saw the two villains – hanging right where they'd been left.

But there was one difference.

Both of the Intergang agents hung on the trees, gazing forward. Their eyes were open, but blank and staring out at nothing. Neither of them made any acknowledgement of the three heroes in front of them. Superboy shook his head in confusion and stepped up for a better look. Blue Beetle lifted his scanner.

"They're alive," he reassured his teammates after a moment. "Steady heartbeat. But unresponsive." Raptor flicked Ugly's ear. He made no movement. His expression didn't change.

"You don't say," she murmured. Superboy didn't say anything, and when Raptor turned towards him, she shivered. Because there was an expression on her face that she'd never seen on the clone before.

Fear.

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **February 14, 01:06**

Raptor slipped through the window of her bedroom. She was exhausted, and her ribs were still killing her. They were definitely bruised, if not fractured. She slammed her window shut and then slid down the wall with a groan. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for twenty four hours at the very least _._ Raptor buried her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking with a heavy sigh.

Beyond her physical pain, she was also emotionally drained. She kept remembering the Appellaxian's words, about wanting to be free from the pain. She closed her eyes and shook her head hard, as though it would dislodge the memory from her psyche. She kept her eyes squeezed shut and half them closed until they were burning, and then she opened them slowly, blinking the spots out of her vision.

"Karla?" Dick called from the living room. The teenage girl sat up, stifling a yawn. She peeled off her domino mask, wincing at the slight sting as the adhesive pulled at the sensitive skin around her eyes. "Karla?" he said again.

"Yeah, I'm here," she called back, pulling herself back up the wall with a heavy sigh. She left her bedroom and limped into the living room. Her brother was there. His eyes were wild and his hair was a mess, like he'd been running his hands through it. She frowned, a little concerned. "Is everything okay?" Dick stared at her.

"Why don't you tell me?" he requested, his voice low. Karla stared back at her brother, confused. She shook her head slowly.

"I – what do you mean?" Dick sighed. He sat down on an armchair and lowered his head into his hands. He, too, looked exhausted.

"It's late," he replied in a steely tone. Karla watched her brother carefully, unsure of why he was speaking so stiffly. He seemed angry at something or someone, but she wasn't sure what.

"It's fine," she replied. "It's not even one yet." She glanced at the clock next to her and her mouth twisted. "Well, barely."

"You have a curfew," Dick reminded her. "Midnight."

" _Karla_ has a curfew," she corrected him. She tapped her chest pointedly, right where the emblem of the owl was. "I don't." Dick shook his head.

"Karla, where the hell were you?" he asked. Dick looked up at her again, his blue eyes burning with anger. "I've been trying to call you for the last two hours!"

Karla frowned, reaching up to touch her comm. She hadn't heard him trying to contact her, which was odd. Come to think of it, she hadn't heard any static in it for a few hours. She pulled it out of her ear and inspected it. To her surprise, it was cracked down the middle. It must have happened when the Appellaxian had redistributed Blue's sonic attack.

"Sorry," Karla apologized, genuinely surprised. She sat down on the couch opposite from Dick, still carefully holding her ribcage. "I didn't realize it was broken." Dick took a deep breath, like he was trying to control himself. He exhaled slowly, and then spoke again.

"Where were you?"

"Washington DC," Karla answered, bewildered. "Oh, and then Arlington, Virginia."

"Doing _what_?" Dick demanded. He was clearly making an effort to keep his voice quiet.

"Tracking two Intergang agents," Karla responded. She sat back against the sofa wearily. She was so busy situating herself that she didn't notice the irate look her brother was giving her.

" _Alone_?" Karla looked up, and her eyes widened. _Now_ she knew why her brother was mad. Biting her lip nervously, she shook her head slowly.

"Not really," she replied in a subdued tone. "I, ah. I ran into Superboy and Blue Beetle." Dick took another deep breath and closed his eyes. He nodded once, swallowing hard.

"But you didn't call," he said, circling back to the first part of the argument. Karla shook her head. "Karla – " Dick's breath hissed, and he started again. "What happened in DC?" He raised his eyebrows at her. "Oh, and then what happened in _Arlington_ , Virginia?" He added sarcastically, mocking her.

"Intergang woke the Appellaxian shells at the Hall of – " She didn't get to finish her sentence because Dick was shooting to his feet, his eyes blazing.

"An _Appellaxian?"_ he nearly shouted. He shut up quickly, glancing around nervously like he was afraid someone would hear them talking about their _extracurricular._ He made an effort to lower his voice before continuing. "What the _hell_ were you thinking? You should have called Batgirl or Robin for backup."

Karla glowered at her brother. She didn't appreciate the insinuation that she couldn't handle it. Or that the Replacement _could_.

"Yes, well," she began, her voice as dry as sand. "If I had known they were planning the Appellaxian I would have called the whole _League_ for help. As it turns out, I'm not a psychic. Or a seer." Dick took another deep breath.

"Okay. But that's not – that's not even the point."

"Then what is the point?" Karla asked him. She was tired. She wanted to go to sleep. And she would seriously _kill_ for some Advil.

"The point is I was worried," Dick told her. His voice was suddenly raw and tired. "I came home, and you weren't here. I looked around the city, and you weren't there. I called, and you didn't answer. I called Alfred – he said you hadn't been by. I called Mal – you hadn't been by the Cave either." Karla looked at the ground, feeling guilty. "I didn't know where you were," Dick added, his voice almost a whisper. "The last time I couldn't find you –"

"You didn't see me for seven years," Karla finished. Her voice was dull, and her eyes were half-closed. Her shoulders slumped and she nodded slowly, understanding. "Okay. I'm sorry. Really. It won't happen again." Her voice was a monotone drawl, not out of lack on sincerity, but out of exhaustion. Dick let out a long, shuddering sigh and nodded.

"Thank you."

"Can I go to sleep now?" she asked, standing. Dick nodded.

"Yeah, of course. Go get some rest." Karla nodded, turning to walk back to her room. Dick watched her go with a heavy heart.

He still felt guilty for her having been taken by the Court and raised as a Talon. He felt responsible.

After all, they'd only taken her because they'd failed to get to him.

* * *

 **dick gets a little ooc towards the end. oops.**

 **important note!**

 **i'm struggling with karla's pairing. as you probably noticed, i entered this story with very deliberate intentions to pair her with sara.**

 **and then i wrote this chapter and remembered how much i adore jaime. so.**

 **i have no firm plans yet and will continue to develop her relationship with both characters until i decide, but until that point, if you have a preference please let me know in a review!**

 **thank you!**


	4. Beneath

**To Natalie: Funny you should say that, there's a flashback in this chapter that was meant to be in the last. I'll continue with these flashbacks throughout the story, but if you're interested in seeing more, I'll definitely keep your idea in** **mind! Thank you!**

 **To TheGoldenhand: Wow, thank you so much! That's so amazing to hear, and I'm glad you're enjoying it so much.**

 **(okay so i might have lied when i said the bb legends wouldn't be in the story. they're still not a big part - i only have plans for three of them, and those plans are pretty small - but they're going to be here a little bit more than I expected originally. sorry. hope you don't hate it.)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice**

* * *

 **STAR CITY**

 **February 19, 12:16 PDT**

"…and _then_ , I realized that if I just hooked it up to my _car_ battery I could – Sara?" Ray blinked, realizing his friend wasn't listening to him ramble on about his experiment. Granted, his friends usually didn't listen to him prattle for more than two minutes, but Sara didn't even look bored. She looked distracted – and tired. The blonde was staring down at the lunch table with a glazed expression on her face. Ray frowned, and tapped her on the shoulder. "Sara, you okay?"

"Next time I see him," Sara mumbled to herself in a distracted manner. She had seemingly forgotten that her friends were at the lunch table with her. She was recalling the events of the night when she'd tried to confront Roy. He had disappeared soon after, _again,_ with no trace, _again._ "I'm gonna plant a tracer on him." Ray shook his head, confused. For once he was the one with no idea what his friend was talking about.

"Plant a _what_ on _who_?" Roy asked, frowning. Sara barely even blinked.

"A tracer?" Zari looked up from her phone with a mildly interested expression upon hearing Sara's words. "Talking about Nate?" That caught Sara's attention. She looked up, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Why?" she asked sharply. "What's wrong with Nate?" Zari shrugged.

"I just meant – he hasn't been to school today and he's not answering any texts or calls." Zari popped a piece of popcorn in her mouth. "Don't worry though, I hacked into the hospital records," she held up her phone for proof, "He hasn't been in there for anything but a routine checkup in a few months. So he's in one piece wherever he is." Ray frowned.

"What if the system just hasn't processed him yet?" Zari shrugged again.

"Well, I can't do anything about that - I'm a hacker, not a prophet." She paused, and then added pointedly. "Besides, it's been at least a few hours, and they're usually not more behind than that."

"He's probably on house arrest again," Jax cut in. He was swirling his French fry in ketchup as he spoke. "You know how his protective his parents are – they probably found out he'd been sneaking out or something. Anyways, who are actually you putting a tracer on?" Sara shook her head. She was exhausted – she'd only gotten a few hours of sleep the night before and she wasn't functioning very well.

"I – Roy," she said with a sigh. She rubbed her temples. "I saw him a few nights ago, briefly. But then he disappeared again." She chose her words carefully – none of her friends were aware of her after-school superhero alter ego, and she didn't want to tip them off or make them suspicious.

It wasn't that she didn't trust her friends, she just liked to keep her lives separate. It made everything easier.

"Who the hell is Roy?" Mick grunted around a bite of a ham and cheese sandwich. Ray and Sara both grimaced as flecks of the meat scattered around the table in front of them. Mick had quite the talent for talking with his mouth full and getting the maximum amount of food everywhere.

"He's a family friend," Sara replied, putting her head in her hands. "He's like my brother." Jax frowned, and held a finger up. He moved it around in the air like he was connecting the dots.

"Wait – I thought he _was_ your brother. Like, step-brother, or something."

"No," Sara explained patiently. "He's Ollie's, like, foster son. Except he's twenty-three now, and out of the system. Ollie is Oliver Queen," she continued to explain, anticipating Mick's next question. "Dinah's boyfriend."

"Yes," Mick said, nodding. He remembered this one. "Richie Rich guy – the billionaire." Sara rolled her eyes, but nodded. Mick wasn't wrong.

"So wait," Zari said, leaning in towards the other girl. "Doesn't that make him your nephew?"

"No," Ray argued. "Dinah and Oliver aren't married, so technically Sara doesn't have any legal relationship to either him or Roy yet." Sara opened her mouth to protest, but before she could, Jax was talking again. He was agreeing with Zari.

"But still. He's closer to being her nephew than – " Before the youngest boy could finish his sentence, Martin had cut in. The senior was the most levelheaded of the group and often played the moderator in conversations, especially when it came to Jax, as he thought himself responsible for the freshman boy.

"Jefferson, please," he said, addressing Jax by his full name, as he usually did. "I believe that the fact that Roy is missing is more imperative to Sara than her legal relationship to him." He looked at Sara sympathetically. "I'm truly sorry, Sara." Jax nodded, looking a little chagrined at his behavior.

"What Grey said," Jax agreed. 'Grey' was Jax's affectionate nickname for Martin. The rest of them simply called the older boy 'Professor' due to his formal speech and high level of intelligence, but Jax insisted that the senior talked and acted as though his hair was already grey – "seriously dude, you eat _grapefruit_ for breakfast" – and continued to address him as such.

The others also chorused their apologies and Sara nodded.

"Thanks guys," she said with a sigh. She looked around with a frown. It was almost half-way through the lunch period, and they were still missing three people besides Nate. "Where are the others?" Sara asked, changing the subject.

"Rip has a test," Ray informed Sara. "Gideon had a meeting with a teacher and Amaya – " Ray frowned and paused. "Where _is_ Amaya?"

"Oh," Mick said, looking up from his lunch. He pointed over their shoulders to the doors leading into the lunchroom. "She's been talking to those pigs since lunch started. Here she comes now."

Sara's eyes widened slowly. 'Pigs' was the word that Mick used to refer to cops. And if cops were talking to Amaya, who was dating Nate, who had been AWOL that day…Sara turned around slowly, her heart pounding. Amaya was walking towards them slowly. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"Nate?" Sara managed to choke out in a question. The lunch table fell silent as everyone awaited Amaya's response. She nodded, her face ashen.

"Nathanial." Amaya's voice quivered over her boyfriend's name, and she took a deep breath before speaking again. "He didn't get home last night."

* * *

 **QURAC**

 **February 19, 19:06 UTC+2**

"Investigating the origin of the alien bomb that destroyed the Krolotean invasion force is still a high priority." Raptor was staring steadily forward at the screen on the BioShip. Nightwing was transmitting to her and the other four girls in the BioShip from Mount Justice. He had dispatched the five of them on a mission to Qurac to follow yet another lead on the alien tech. "We suspect the bomb may have been smuggled to Earth via boom tube," Nightwing continued. "Watchtower sensor scans of Bialya have recorded an uptick in boom tube activity. Alpha Squad, your mission is to –" Before Nightwing could finish, he was being interrupted by a very excited blonde girl aboard the BioShip.

"Sneak behind enemy lines, recon known boom tube hotspots and find alien tech matching the bomb!" Wonder Girl chirped up. Her eyes were bright and wide with excitement. Raptor fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Oh," Wonder Girl continued, touching her chest to activate stealth tech. Her entire outfit turned black except the stylized 'W's' on her chest, which turned to dark grey. "And don't get caught or create and international incident, right?" She grinned at Nightwing hopefully. Nightwing smiled back at the young girl in an encouraging manner. How he had so much patience, Raptor had no clue.

"That about covers it," he agreed. Miss Martian, who was piloting the BioShip had been quiet for several moments as she listened to Nightwing. Her forehead was still creased in careful thought when she spoke.

"Psimon?" she asked hesitantly. She didn't exactly sound nervous or wary, probably because she'd held her own against the other telepath multiple times before, but she was still on guard when it came to Psimon. Nightwing shook his head.

"We have confirmation that Bialya's telepathic enforcer is still catatonic in a Quraci hospital…after his last encounter with _you_ ," Nightwing informed Miss Martian. She nodded, her shoulders relaxing slightly. It was one less thing to worry about.

As Nightwing spoke, a picture of the man in question appeared on the screen. Raptor grimaced when she saw it. She'd seen the telepath before, but it had been a while and she was sorry to say that he was still a sight for sore eyes. His skin was so pale it was white, and it contrasted greatly with the bright pink brain that was transparent through his clear skull.

"But Bialya's dictator, Queen Bee, is another story," Nightwing had continued. A smaller picture of the woman appeared on the screen next to Psimon. She was exceptionally pretty, especially in stark contrast to the photo of her underling right next to her's. "Her ability to control the minds of most men is why Alpha is an all female squad for this mission." Raptor scoffed under her breath, raising an eyebrow. Clearly, Batgirl was having the same thoughts as she was.

"Oh, really?" Batgirl smirked at her longtime best friend, crossing her arms. Nightwing tensed slightly. That tone was not a good one, and it usually meant he was about to be teased about something. Batgirl continued, "And would you have felt the need to justify an all- _male_ squad for a given mission?" The other girls in the BioShip looked at their leader, awaiting his answer. Nightwing cleared his throat, looking away.

"Um," he said, cheeks flushing slightly. It was an odd sight to see him flustered; the former Boy Wonder was almost always unflappable. "There's…no right answer for that, is there?" he asked. Raptor snorted, and nodded once. Nightwing grimaced. "So…Nightwing out." The transmission closed, and Batgirl hummed in a self-satisfied manner. She turned to face her comrades, lifting her fist in a playful victory move.

"Queen Bee isn't the only woman who can mess with a man's mind," she said flippantly. Raptor grinned, a chuckle bubbling in her throat.

Maybe this mission wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

 **STAR CITY**

 **February 19, 15:31 PDT**

As soon as the final bell for school had rung, Sara shot out of her seat and was out the door. She ignored Rip's yell after her, focusing more on dodging all the bodies moving through the hallways.

She needed to find Nate, and she was positive she could do that better as White Canary than as Sara Lance. But first, she needed information. And _that_ she could do without her mask.

Not that Sara _wore_ a mask with her costume, but that wasn't the point.

Sara turned the key in the ignition of her car, and drove towards the Star City Police Department. It wasn't a long drive, and when she got there, she parked hastily and ran into the building. She was used to being there.

"Sara!" the receptionist greeted her with a sunny smile when the blonde entered the building. "Your dad's in his office, sweetie," she told the girl. "You can head on in." Sara smiled back at the older woman.

"Thanks," she called, jogging towards her dad's office. She knocked before she entered. Impatient though she was, she still knew she had to be respectful.

"Come in!" Sara entered the office, and Quentin looked up. When he saw his daughter, his face broke into a grin. "Hey, baby!" He got up from his desk and gave her a hug. Sara returned the embrace, and the Quentin pulled back. He looked down at his daughter. "How was your day?" Sara shook her head.

"Dad, what happened to Nate?" Sara bypassed her father's question, getting straight to the point. The smile slid off of her father's face, and he took another step back. Sara met his gaze levels, and Quentin sat down with a sigh.

"How did you hear about that?" he asked his daughter. Sara crossed her arms over her chest.

"If you send police officers to _my_ school to question _my_ friend about my _other_ friend, what do you expect is going to happen?" Quentin sighed, and nodded. He rubbed his chin with his hand, trying to decide how to broach the subject with his daughter. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"His parents requested I keep it as quiet as I could for as long as I could," Quentin told his daughter. "That included my not telling you. I'm your father, but I'm also a police detective, sweetie." Sara scowled, but she nodded. Heaving a sigh, she sat down on the chair in front of her dad's dest. As much as she wished he'd told her, his reasoning made sense.

"Well," Sara said. "You might not be able to tell _me_ , but could you tell the White Canary?" She raised an eyebrow at her father. He was aware of his two daughters vigilante activities, and although he didn't necessarily approve, he supported them the best he could. So it was to Sara's surprise that Quentin shook his head.

"Sara," he began. "I think this matter might actually be handled better outside the costume and without the staff." Sara made a face and Quentin raised his eyebrows at her pointedly. "Sara Lance is Nate's friend. The White Canary isn't."

Sara slumped down in the chair, considering. Nate probably wasn't hiding; if he was, she guessed he would have called at least Amaya. But maybe he was. And even if he wasn't, maybe her father was still right. She should handle this as Sara Lance, not as White Canary. Sara stood up again.

"Thanks, Dad," she said, picking up her backpack. "I'll see you at home."

* * *

 **BIALYA**

 **February 20, 00:12 UTC + 2**

Raptor was hunched behind a sand dune with the other four girls that made up Alpha Squad. She was looking at the factory using the binocular function in her domino mask. Next to her, Batgirl had a huge set of real binoculars that she was using to scope out the place as well. The factory was huge, and there was a ton of security, which was suspicious.

' _The other boom tube hotspots have all been busts,'_ Batgirl commented over the mind link as she scanned the premises. ' _But – '_

 _'But this much security must be guarding big deal alien stuff, right?'_ Wonder Girl broke in. The young Amazonian was still a tad bit too excited for a simple reconnaissance mission.

' _Well, if we knew the answer to that, we wouldn't be here, would we?'_ Raptor's voice was bored and sarcastic, but despite the snide remark, Wonder Girl's enthusiasm was undeterred. Batgirl shot Raptor a look. When Nightwing wasn't around, she automatically stepped into the roll of controlling the younger girl. Raptor still wasn't sure if it was on her own accord or Nigthwing's request. _'Sorry,'_ Raptor apologized, not very sincerely. She tapped the side of her head. ' _You kind of lose your filter with this thing.'_

 _'Batgirl, take the north hanger,'_ Miss Martian ordered, ignoring Raptor's comments. ' _I'll take the west, Raptor will take east, and Bee, you go south.'_ Wonder Girl's eyes widened, having realized that left her nothing. Before she could comment on the fact, Miss Martian had turned to instruct the other girl. ' _Wonder Girl, hold position.'_ The blonde's mouth dropped open, her eyes wide with dismay.

' _What?'_ she protested, deflated. ' _Wait, why can't I go in?'_ Bumblebee, who was already in her miniaturized state, flew up to the girl.

 _'Because you're Wonder Girl, honey,_ ' the small hero explained. ' _Not Stealth-er Girl.'_

 _'I can do this,'_ Wonder Girl insisted earnestly. She clasped her hands together and then spread them apart. _'Please?'_

' _No one's knocking your enthusiasm, Cass,'_ Batgirl told her, trying to comfort the other girl. ' _And if we were in a firefight, there's no one I'd rather have beside me – '_

' _Stop sugarcoating it,'_ Raptor broke in. She turned to the other young teenager. _'Wonder Girl, you're strong and fast and a good fighter. But you don't have the best tiptoes.'_ The raven-haired girl tossed her braid over her shoulder, and stood up, ready to go. Wonder Girl's shoulders slumped, and she turned away to hide her disappointment from her teammates. She'd been _so_ excited.

 _'Besides, we need you as a look out,'_ Miss Martian added. She turned to face the others. ' _Use the psychic link only,'_ she instructed the rest of the Squad. ' _The Bialyans have the tech to intercept our radios. Anything goes wrong, we scatter and meet at the rendezvous point._ ' Miss Martian glanced at Wonder Girl, who was still sulking with her back turned to the rest of the group. _'Clear?'_

' _Clear,'_ chorused Bumblebee, Raptor, and Batgirl. They all turned to look at Wonder Girl. She sighed heavily, and nodded once.

"Clear," she acquiesced out loud. She gasped, realizing her mistake, and corrected herself, ' _I mean, clear!'_

Before Wonder Girl had even acknowledged her mistake, Raptor had disappeared. She darted forward, flipping over the sand dune effortlessly. Reaching the edge of the factory, she stayed in the shadows to avoid being seen by any of the guards.

Heading for the east hanger, Raptor climbed up the side of the building, carefully maneuvering her way around cameras and sight lines of security. When she reached the roof, she pried the covering off of a vent and slid down into the hanger.

Time to roll.

* * *

 **STAR CITY**

 **February 19, 16:11 PDT**

Sara knocked on the door to Nate's house, slightly apprehensive. She almost never saw Nate's parents, and when she did, their conversations pretty much consisted of a greeting and a goodbye. In other words, she had no idea how this discussion would go.

Mrs. Heywood answered the door. When she opened it, Sara offered the woman a smile.

"Mrs. Heywood," she greeted Nate's mother. "Um. I'm sorry, I know this is a terrible time, but…I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing." Mrs. Heywood gave Sara a shaky smile, and opened the door wider, inviting her inside. Sara stepped over the threshold of the door, and Mrs. Heywood closed it behind her.

"Thank you, Sara," the woman said, leading the teenager into the house. They sat down at the kitchen table. "You're so thoughtful." Sara smiled, looking at her lap. She was trying to figure out what to say.

"I was just wondering," Sara said quietly. "If you knew what happened?" Mrs. Heywood looked hard at Sara, and she shrugged. "I'm just wondering if I can help," she explained. "I don't know, maybe he's at another friend's?" Sara offered weakly. "And he forgot to call or something. I could see if…" Sara trailed off, not sure exactly what to say.

Mrs. Heywood pressed her lips together. She didn't really seem annoyed or upset anymore than she'd been before Sara started talking. Before Sara could continue, Mrs. Heywood took a deep breath and started to talk.

"Oh, I don't know," the woman averted her eyes from Sara. "It was the same old thing. Hank and Nate got into an argument…" Mrs. Heywood shrugged uncomfortably. "Nate was upset. They're…not very close."

An understatement if Sara had ever heard one. Nate didn't complain much, but when he did, it was often about his tense relationship with his father. But of course she didn't say this; she just nodded sympathetically.

"We just…you know how much we worry about him." Mrs. Heywood's voice shook when she spoke. "With his hemophilia…it's just…"

"Of course," Sara said, when Mrs. Heywood trailed off. When it became clear that the woman wasn't going to say more, Sara stood up. "Well, I suppose I should get home," she said. "Please let me know if I can do anything to help." Mrs. Heywood smiled, and nodded. Her eyes were watery.

"Thank you, Sara," the older woman said. "Please be safe." Sara nodded and smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner, and stepped outside. The door clicked shut behind her.

Now Sara knew a little bit more. Nate hadn't just disappeared. He'd run away.

* * *

Raptor's first hint that something had gone wrong was the flashing red light. Her second hint were the blaring alarms.

Swearing quietly under her breath, Raptor reached out in the mind link to try and reach her teammates. After a few seconds of yelling to herself in her brain, she realized that for whatever reason Miss Martian must have shut the link down. Raptor reached instinctively for her comm. before lowering her hand.

Without hearing from her friends, Raptor decided to proceed to the rendezvous point and hope for the best. Sticking to the shadows, she slid around the corner of a stack of boxes and groaned inwardly.

Her escape route was shot. The big open unguarded door at the end of the hanger was still big, but was now very much closed and very heavily guarded.

Which left Raptor with only one escape option. She had to return to the vents that she'd come in through. Raptor climbed back up the wall and slid back into the air vent. Holding her breath, she replaced the cover of the vent, hoping that no one had seen. After a few moments when nothing happened, she exhaled slowly in relief.

The air vent was a tight squeeze to say the least, and it took a lot of wiggling to get Raptor into a position that she could move in. She slid forward on her stomach in an army crawl. At first she progressed very slowly to avoid being heard by the guards in the hanger below.

When she was far enough away that she felt she wouldn't be overhead and caught by the guards, she paused. After some quick maneuvering and a lot of muttered curses at the tight squeeze, Raptor managed to shove her hand back into her utility belt to pull out her holographic projector.

Pulling up a scan of the blueprints of the building that Batgirl had taken and transmitted to her, Raptor's masked eyes slid across the screen. She found a destination – a way out – pretty quickly. All four hangers converged into a large open chamber that would give her _plenty_ of space to move through.

Raptor clicked the projection off and put it back into her belt. Sighing heavily, she began to glide forward again, this time much faster as she didn't have to worry as much about being caught. It took her a few minutes to find the right vents that would connect her to the chamber.

Once she reached the opening in the vent that dropped down to the hall, Raptor pulled a grappling device from her belt. She preferred to use her gauntlet when she could, but this device was admittedly quieter, and her goal was to not get caught.

Sticking the end of the grappling hook firmly to the ceiling, Raptor held on to the other end and slowly lowered herself down the hole. She went upside down, so that she could poke her head around first to see if there was anyone there. Upon confirming the coast was clear, she dropped to the ground, landing silently in a crouch.

When she took a look at her surroundings, her jaw dropped open. The chamber was huge, which she'd assumed from the blueprints, but what she hadn't realized was that she was standing on the ruins of a temple of some kind. It was a temple that had clearly been appropriated for another use, but a temple nonetheless.

In stark contrast to the ancient cavern, Bialyan soldiers had set up computers along one side of the cave. The readings the monitors explained were almost explicitly clear to Raptor, but the writing on the walls of the cave was another story.

Frowning, Raptor touched the wall. Engraved all over were symbols of some kind – some of them looked like hieroglyphics, but others were unfamiliar to the hero. She reached into her utility belt, pulling out the small projector once again. She fiddled with it for a few seconds, adjusting the settings until the device would perform the way she wanted it to.

Raptor turned the device around the room, so that the camera could scan the walls. It wouldn't be able to analyze them; she'd have to do that later manually, but it would create a record that she could refer to instead of relying on her memory.

Just as Raptor finished scanning, movement on the edge of the cave caught her attention. Raptor froze and dropped into a crouch instinctively. She realized pretty quickly that it was just Batgirl. The nineteen year old was hopping her way across the cavern. Raptor hastily pocketed the device and followed her teammate.

Batgirl realized quickly that she was being followed, and realized just as quickly that it was a friend, not an enemy. The older girl motioned to Raptor, and the raven-haired girl fell into line accordingly.

The two ninja-like vigilantes climbed over a rock wall. Sitting behind the natural cover was a huge cargo plane. Surrounding the plane were a bunch of red and black pods. Batgirl dropped down for a better look, and Raptor followed. When the two girls saw what, or rather _who_ were in the pods, their eyes widened with horror.

Dozens of pods surrounded the two girls, and in each of them was a sleeping human. To be more specific, a teenager. Raptor shook her head slowly. This wasn't right.

Heart pounding with anger, Raptor reached out, but before she could try to disable even one of the pods, a wave of pain washed over her. It was hard to describe exactly; it wasn't like the energy the Appellaxian had repelled at her the other night. It felt more internal.

Crying out, Raptor fell to her knees. Her vision had gone blurry, and before she knew it, the world was slipping away.

 _*FLASHBACK*_

 _The Talon's feet hit the rooftops of Gotham silently. She came to a sudden stop at the edge of one of the skyscrapers, looking around for her target._

 _There Robin – the_ second _Robin – was, crouched on the edge of the skyscraper two buildings away from her. The intel the Court had provided her with, as usual, was sound. As he always did, Robin was patrolling this sector of the city at around midnight._

 _In most cases, Robin would have heard an adversary coming from, even from behind him, a mile away. The Talon, however, was not a usual adversary. She was almost on top of him by the time he heard her coming._

 _By that time it would have been too late for any other person. But Robin wasn't a usual target either. His hand came up, knocking her knife away from his throat at the last second. The Talon recovered quickly, kicking out at the teenage boy and knocking him off the roof._

 _Robin flipped in midair, shooting his grappling hook onto the next building. He dropped the last few yards to the ground and landed easily. He tilted his head back, scowling in the low light to see who his attacker was. When he did see, his blood ran cold._

 _Standing on the edge of the building was the Talon – not the only Talon he or Batman had ever dealt with, but the one they'd been seeing the most of lately. She was holding her katana in her hand, and staring down at him._

 _Robin knew that she wouldn't give up after one attempt. He pressed a hand onto his comm., his heart racing._

 _"Robin to Batman," he radioed his mentor as the Talon dropped from the roof top to land in front of him. He backed away, trying to find time to complete his message. His eyes warily took in the position of her hands, knowing that her aim with the throwing knives was deadly accurate. "Requesting backup at the intersection of 16_ _th_ _Street and Oak Avenue. I've run into the Talon." Robin could hear Batman's immediate response squeaking in his ear, but he was a little busy trying not to die to comprehend his mentor's message._

 _Ducking the Talon's first swipe with the sword, Robin jumped over her. When he landed, he flicked his wrist, launching a small net at the girl. It surrounded her sword hand, and the weapon clattered to the ground._

 _Before she could unsheathe one of her other many weapons, Robin rushed forward. He kicked out at her, and she narrowly evaded his blow. As the two fought, Robin could tell that he was outmatched. Not greatly, but the imbalance was clear enough as Robin was mostly just trying to avoid being hit._

 _Taking the offensive again, Robin shot his grappling hook up. He twisted around, flipping over the Talon and landing behind her. He used the momentary element of surprise to his advantage, and shot another net at her. It twisted around her body, looking her arms at her sides, but the net only impeded her momentarily. She quickly unsheathed two knives and easily cut through the rope._

 _The fleeting moment where she was distracted was all Robin needed. He had placed several small explosives on the ground in front of her. They wouldn't kill her, but they'd hopefully knock her out and back long enough for him to figure out his next move._

 _To Robin's surprise, when the bombs detonated, the Talon was barely effected. Having seen the bombs, she'd flipped backwards._

 _The Talon flipped over in the air, twisting and turning and then landing_ perfectly. _Robin's breath caught. He'd only ever seen that acrobatic move – that very_ difficult _acrobatic move – performed a few times before. And all of them had been by Nightwing. The reason for that being that that acrobatic move was a signature of the Flying Grayson's. Before he knew what he was doing, Robin's mouth opened and he called out a name._

 _"Karla!"_

 _*END FLASHB_ _ACK*_

A sharp pain zapped in the girl's chest, and she woke up with a gasp. Her mind racing, she looked around, taking in her surroundings. She was in a… _pod_? Her blood ran cold. It looked like where the undead Talons slept – kind of. Why was she with the undead –

"Raptor!" At the sound of Bumblebee's voice, everything came flooding back. The teenager in the pod shut her eyes and took a deep breath, and a moment later Raptor opened her eyes.

"Bee," she responded, still sounding slightly breathless. She touched her chest, scowling. "What gives?" The miniaturized hero motioned around.

"We're in a cargo plane of abductees," Bumblebee responded impatiently. "We've got to get out." She pointed down the hallway. "Batgirl's in the cockpit." Raptor nodded, slowly putting the pieces together.

"Right, right. I'll just, uh, see if she needs help." With that, Raptor stepped out of the pod – she shivered as she did so – and headed towards the cockpit. When she got there, Batgirl was already in the pilot's seat, checking the controls. Raptor sat down next to her. Batgirl looked up, and noticed Raptor's expression.

"Everything okay?" the redhead asked, her hands slowing over the gearshifts. Raptor didn't respond, instead flicking the last few buttons to prep the plane for flight. Batgirl's voice softened as she spoke, "I know that kidnappings are hard for –"

"Fine," Raptor responded gruffly, cutting off her teammate. She wasn't in the mood to discuss it. "I'm fine." She shook her head, not meeting Batgirl's eyes. "Let's just get out of here."

"Second the motion," Batgirl replied. She placed her hand on the steering controls and nodded. "Ready?" Raptor flicked the switch to start turning the propeller and nodded.

"Ready." They hadn't even gone fifteen yards when the alarms in the hanger started to blare. Raptor could see the doors closing rapidly through the windshield. Her hands flew to the controls of the plane, wondering if she could override the command from in here. Before she could do anything about it, a thump sounded on the top of the plane, and Devastation ripped a hole through the metal.

The muscular woman leered down at the two girls. Raptor looked up and her breath huffed out.

"Dammit," she muttered. She touched the comm. in her ear. "Alpha? If you're not too busy, could use a little help over here!" Batgirl leaned down in her seat, away from Devastation's grip as the woman reached out towards the Bat in the pilot's seat.

"Devastation!" Wonder Girl called, distracting the villainess. The woman looked up, scowling, and then went flying out of sight. Raptor could guess what had happened. Putting her hands and focus back on the controls, Raptor glanced up nervously.

"How bad is it?" she asked Batgirl, referring to the hole in the roof. "Anything important get ripped up?" Batgirl was inspecting the damage, and she shrugged.

"Looks negligible," she responded, sliding back down into her seat. "Now, let's get this bird in the air!"

 _'Yes!'_ Wonder Girl's voice rang through Raptor's mind. Miss Martian must have put the mental link back up once Psimon had realized they were there. _'We did it!'_ Raptor grinned slightly. She could feel the wheels of the plane lifting off the ground. For about thirty seconds, everything was great and had gone according to plan.

And then, everything went to shit.

Raptor heard a groan from the right side of the plane. Then there was a loud snapping sound, and the plane listed to the left, _hard._ Both girls yelped as the jolt threw them to the side.

"Right engine's gone!" Batgirl cried, stating the obvious.

"The right _wing_ is gone!" Raptor shouted back. She grabbed at the controls again, trying desperately to right the plane. Before she could, the remaining wing of the plane ground against the stone wall of the cavern. It didn't take long for that one to break off as well. "Oh shit," Raptor muttered, mostly to herself. "Left wing's gone too."

Before Batgirl could formulate a reply, the plane fell forward with a groan, and before Raptor knew what was happening, they were entering a free-fall into a canyon.

Raptor screwed her eyes shut and ground her teeth together. She took back everything she had thought about the adrenaline rush of falling and flying. This was fucking terrifying.

Raptor could feel the plane's drop lessen _slightly_ , but nowhere near enough to ease her terror. As her chest tightened painfully, her breath caught, and she realized something.

She was going to die like they did.

She was going to die falling.

Tears pricked her eyes, and Raptor wrapped her hands around the straps of her seatbelt so tightly that her knuckles hurt. She closed her eyes. Raptor took a deep breath, and tried very hard not to scream.

And then, literally seconds before the plane fell to the ground and exploded, something was lifting them up, back into the air. Raptor opened her eyes very slowly, and took another deep breath. She was alive. So was Batgirl. Raptor could hear Wonder Girl whooping from the front of the plane. And the ground was getting farther and farther away from them.

Raptor collapsed against her chair with a heavy sigh of relief. A smile spread across her face, and she started to laugh. Batgirl turned to look at the girl next to her, and smiled slightly.

They had succeeded.

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **February 20, 03:24 EST**

"Psimon had planted mental suggestions in the minds of his doctors and nurses. They've been tending to an empty hospital bed for months." Nightwing explained to the five girls during the debrief. He sounded upset, and it was understandable why. Not only was a formidable enemy back on his feet, but the assumption that Psimon hadn't been in Bialya had almost cost Alpha their mission and their lives. He heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry." Miss Martian shrugged, smiling reassuringly at Nightwing.

"It had to happen sometime," she replied easily. Nightwing nodded, seeing the truth in Miss Martian's words. Having gotten the apology and explanation out of the way, he continued with the business.

"So," he said. "No alien tech?"

"None," Bumblebee responded. The hero had grown back to regular size when they head gotten on to the BioShip. "But what we found was strange enough." Miss Martian nodded, picking up Bumblebee's point.

"It was clear in Shimmer's mind that Queen Bee was acting as a kind of middle man," Miss Martian informed their leader. "Delivering abducted humans to an unknown partner." Nightwing frowned, and his eyes fell on his sister. Raptor was staring forward. Her mouth was in a thin line and her eyes were covered – her face was perfectly straight, but Nightwing could guess that she was more upset about the kidnappings than she was letting on.

"We questioned all the abductees," Batgirl added as Nightwing looked at his sister. "Most were runaways."

"One more thing," Raptor spoke up. "All were kidnapped _after_ the destruction of Malina Island and the Kroloteans." She crossed her arms over her chest. "It wasn't the Bialyans. It wasn't the Kroloteans." She looked up at her brother. "Who was it?" Nightwing nodded.

"That is the question," he replied. Wonder Girl sighed and shifted her weight. She seemed frustrated by the turn of events since their success.

"Another _unanswered_ question," she muttered. Nightwing smiled at the Amazonian and walked forward. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Questions keep the investigation moving forward," he reassured the young hero. He turned to look round at the Alpha Squad. "You saved lives, and you got each other home safe." The pride and admiration in his voice was unmistakable as he spoke, "Good work, Alpha."

Batgirl grinned. She reached out and snagged Wonder Girl, pulling the blonde under her arm. The other three girls came in closer as well, surrounding Wonder Girl. The Amazonian looked around. Even Raptor was smiling at her with satisfaction.

Wonder Girl grinned too.

* * *

 **STAR CITY**

 **February 19, 21:03 PDT**

Sara let herself into her house, her shoulders slumped. She'd checked all the places she could possibly think Nate would have gone if he'd run off. She'd been to all their houses, even Jax's, which they'd all only been to once before.

Nate was nowhere to be found, and he _still_ wasn't answering his cellphone. Sara was starting to get worried again.

Once she'd found out that Nate had purposely run off, she'd assumed that he'd turned off his phone so his parents couldn't track him and would call when he cooled down. She hadn't been too worried – Nate was a smart guy, and he knew how to take care of himself.

But now, it had been over twenty-four hours since he'd reportedly left his parents house. And he hadn't called or texted or even logged onto any of his social media pages (Zari had checked) in almost thirty hours.

Sara curled her knees up to her chest with a frown. Where the hell was he?

* * *

Queen Bee stood in the destroyed hanger. She looked around, her lip curled in displeasure. She was extremely dissatisfied with how the struggle had gone in favor of the children. She surveyed the soldiers who were standing in front of her.

"The loss of cargo could have severely undermined our credibility," she snarled, looking in particular at the small group of superhumans who had failed to apprehend the young heroes. All of them stood with their shoulders slumped. They knew what they'd done wrong. "Fortunately," she continued, her voice relaxing marginally. "We had already collected our second shipment. Our partner should still be quite satisfied."

As she spoke, five soldiers entered the room, each pushing a podded teenager. The first was an African-American teen with short dreads wearing a blue baseball cap, the second was an Argentine boy with messy hair. The third contained an Asian girl wearing a green bandana, and the fourth a boy with long hair and a Band-Aid on his cheek.

The fifth and final pod contained another boy, with short brown hair and dog tags around his neck. Queen Bee walked up to this particular pod and placed a hand on it.

"Careful with this one," she ordered the solider handling him. Her voice wasn't soft; this order wasn't out of anything akin to affection, but rather pragmatics. "He appears to be delicate. I wouldn't want to damage the cargo."

* * *

 **so yeah. that happened. you can guess what nate's role in the rest of the story will be.**

 **and please leave a review to let me know what you think! if you hate it, like it, love it, i'd love to hear feedback!**

 **also please let me know if you have a preference/idea about who i should pair her with - jaime or sara?  
thanks!**


	5. Bloodlines

**To Guest: Thanks for the input! I appreciate it.**

 **To SnowWolf22: Did I flip when I saw you'd fav'd/reviewed my story? Maybe, but you can't prove anything (yes you can. I did). Anyways, thank you so much! That means a lot to me!**

 **To TheGoldenhand: Thanks so much! I hope you'll support my decision with the ship - I would have loved Sara and Karla together but I think I will end up having it be Blue.**

 **As I said above, for shipping, I've pretty much decided on Jaime/Blue Beetle. I've not completely made up my mind, but as a writer I can see a more interesting/dynamic storyline for that romance than I can with Sara and Karla. So Sara and Karla are just besties - although they do have bonding in this chapter.**

 **Btw's, this chap is kinda a lot of set-up for stuff that will come into play down the line. It might seem kind of crowded, but I hope I did an okay job of organizing it so it's not too confusing.**

 **It's just hard because I've had this story in my head for so long, so it makes perfect sense to me. Writing it down is a lot harder. Please let me know if it's too confusing. I feel like I'm doing too much in the story, but I really don't want to take any out because I kinda love my plot. Maybe I'm the only one tho, who knows? :/ XD**

 **That was a long A/N. ONWARDS!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice**

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **February 28, 10:07 EST**

 _"Recognized: White Canary_ : _B-Two-Four_." The young hero exited the Zeta Tube and looked around the Cave. Raptor was standing next to her brother in the center of the main room, helping him code something on one of the holographic monitors. Upon hearing the Zeta Tube announce her friend's designation, she abandoned her brother and walked over to greet White Canary.

"Hey," Raptor said, smiling as she approached her friend. White Canary managed to muster a smile back at the other girl. Raptor frowned, noticing the obvious exhaustion and distress on the other girl's face. "Still no sign of Nate?" Her voice was surprisingly gentle, her lips turned down in concern.

Canary had noticed that Raptor was much more friendly with her than she was with anyone else on the Team. She wasn't sure about the girl's preference to her, but she definitely enjoyed Raptor's company, so she wasn't going to complain.

On another note, she had also noticed that when Raptor spoke to her or when they were with White Canary's friends – who thought Raptor's name was Rachel and that she suffered migraines that required her to wear sunglasses nearly all the time – Raptor allowed a seemingly natural accent to creep back into her voice.

White Canary couldn't place it exactly, but she was pretty sure it was Eastern European of some kind. However, it was extremely subtle, more of a mild formality and a lilting tone to Raptor's voice than a real accent.

But whenever Raptor spoke to other people on the Team, even her brother, she spoke in a completely American accent - no formality, and no lilt. White Canary's best guess was that someone had decided it was too much of a distinguishing characteristic in the girl and she faked an American accent to protect her identity. Which kind of made White Canary sad - she liked the way it sounded.

"No," Canary said, responding to Raptor's question. She sighed heavily, her shoulder slumping. Raptor touched the blonde's arm gently, and White Canary straightened up. She nodded towards Nightwing, quickly changing the subject. Talking about Nate too much made it worse. "What were you doing?" Raptor turned around.

"Oh – " she began, but before she could continue explaining, the computer announced it for her.

" _Decryption: completed. Translation: completed."_

"Is that the Krolotean intel?" Robin asked from behind the two girls. White Canary turned around to see him and Beast Boy walking up behind her. Raptor turned away, pointedly turning her back on and walking away from Robin. The teenage boy's face flickered almost imperceptibly with hurt and annoyance.

"What Krolotean intel?" Beast Boy asked. Nightwing continued typing on the screen, and Raptor slid back into place next to him. Her own fingers began to fly across the keyboard. Her gauntlet was hanging on her utility belt to allow for better movement.

"The data files M'gann and J'onn recovered from Malina Island before it was destroyed," Nightwing informed the younger boy and White Canary, neither of whom had been there on that particular mission. Beast Boy nodded.

"Huh. Noted," he said, repeating a catchphrase that he seemed to use quite often. White Canary smiled. Raptor looked up from her screen. Her mouth was tight, like she'd come across information she was particularly upset with.

"Apparently, the Kroloteans were snatching humans to use as _guinea pigs."_ She practically spat the word. Nightwing put his hand on her shoulder, but she didn't relax. "Seriously," she muttered, looking away. "I thought alien abductions were just a myth."

"Guinea pigs for what?" White Canary asked. Raptor crossed her arms, and Nightwing responded instead.

"Something inside us," he murmured. "There's no English word for it. But the nearest translation is…Meta-Gene." Robin frowned.

"What's a Meta-Gene?" Beast Boy grinned.

"Never _met-a-Jean_ I didn't like," he cracked, elbowing Robin playfully. Raptor rolled her eyes. Before she could make a comment, likely a sarcastic one, the computer began to beep, alerting the heroes to an intruder.

" _Warning,_ " it announced. " _Unknown energy impulse detected._ " There was a loud crackling sound, and Raptor jumped backwards as a large ball of crackling energy appearing in front of her. Nightwing held his hand up and stepped forward, silently telling the younger heroes to stay back and behind him.

As White Canary watched, her eyes wide with shock and wonder, a large machine appeared in the crackling electricity. The energy disappeared, and the machine fell to the ground with a loud thud. It was smoking slightly. White Canary reached instinctively for her staff, wrapping her hand around it in anticipation. The handle on the machine moved upwards as though someone or something inside was pulling on it.

"Stand ready," Nightwing ordered, pulling out his escrima sticks. White Canary pulled out her staff, elongating it until it was full length. Next to her Robin was doing the same, and Raptor had a dagger in each hand. Beast Boy simply fell into a fighting stance, ready to spring forward if he needed to.

The door to the machine cracked open and began to billow steam, clouding Canary's vision from whoever was inside. She tensed, re-gripping her staff carefully. And then, faster than her eyes could track, the figure inside sprang out, landing in front of them with his arms spread wide.

"Ta-da!" He exclaimed, like he was expecting a round of applause.

" _Intruder alert,"_ the computer announced unnecessarily. " _Intruder alert."_

"Yeah, no shit," Raptor muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes beneath her mask again. "You can shut up now."

"How do you even manage to be a bitch to the _computer?_ " Robin demanded, shooting the girl a side-glare. Raptor sniffed. "It's an inanimate obje – "

"Computer, lock down Cave," Nightwing ordered tersely, cutting off Robin's retort. When the boy standing in front of them made no move or intent of ill will, Nightwing allowed his arms to drop – but not his guard.

"Well," Beast Boy said, also falling out of a fighting stance. "I think we've found our unknown energy _impulse._ " The boy in front of them grinned, putting his hands on his hips.

"Impulse," he repeated, like he was trying the name out. "That's so crash! Catchy. Dramatic. One word. Like Nightwing." In a blur of movement, the boy sped up to their leader. "And Raptor, and Robin." Another blur as he threw one arm around each of them. Raptor tensed under his touch, and White Canary saw her hands curl into fists."And Beast Boy and White Canary. Except those are both two words," he continued before pausing. "Hey, Blue Beetle's two words!" He cried. "Is he here too?"

Before any of them could answer, he sped away and was soon standing a good fifteen yards from any of them. "Never mind!" he chirped with a broad grin. " _Impulse_ can find out for himself!" He gave a maniacal laugh and then sped away again.

"You three," Nightwing said, gesturing to White Canary, Robin, and Beast Boy. "Take him down! Raptor, with me." Raptor turned to her brother immediately as the three others sprinted after the speedster. She frowned.

"We're _crash_?" She asked, repeating what the boy had said. Nightwing shrugged. He didn't have a clue, either.

The older hero reached into his utility belt and pulled out two pairs of handcuffs. Before Raptor could ask what he was doing, he was moving to the opposite side of the room, ready to meet Impulse as he ran through the other door. Raptor followed him.

Raptor could hear Impulse's voice echoing throughout the Cave, getting progressively closer. Nightwing reached into his belt and pulled out a bunch of tiny metal balls – essentially marbles. Raptor frowned. Surely this kid was smarter than _that_?

Impulse came speeding around the corner, and sure enough, he saw the balls rolling towards him. Grinning, he sped up the side of the hallway so that he was running on the wall. He landed with this back to the main room, grinning triumphantly.

"Haha!" he crowed. "You can't catch me that easy." He spun around, at normal human speed, and Nightwing swept in. The older hero sucker-punched Impulse in the stomach, and the speedster groaned, falling to his knees. Before he could get back up, Raptor sprang forward and kicked him in the back. Impulse fell forward with an _oof._

Raptor placed one foot on his back to hold him in place and then knelt down, pulling his hands behind his back and clipping them together. Once Impulse's hands were tied, she moved down and clipped the other pair of cuffs around his ankles. She might have been a little rougher than absolutely necessary, but _so what?_ This kid was seriously getting on her nerves.

"Now that," Nightwing said, looking at the speedster on the ground. "Was crash." Impulse scowled, looking down at his cuffed feet despondently.

"For you, maybe," he replied. "But me? I'm totally feeling the mode."

* * *

Raptor stood in front of Impulse with her arms crossed over her chest. He had told them his story, who he was and where he was from, and she was extremely skeptical. And she wasn't the only one.

"You're a _tourist?_ " Robin asked, incredulously.

"From the future," White Canary finished. She raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh."

"Why so surprised?" Impulse asked, smiling innocently. "Half the meat at Comic-Con is from my era."

"Uh-huh," she said again, still unimpressed. Impulse laughed nervously.

"Look, look, look, guys. We should be friends!" he insisted. "I'm really one of you, part of the heroic legacy, right? My name's Bart Allen," he continued, stressing his last name. "You know, grandson of Barry Allen, the Flash?" Beast Boy smirked, putting his hands on his hips.

"Noted," he said. "Not believed, but noted." Impulse scowled.

"What's not to believe?" He cried. "I've clearly got the Flash's speed, his amazing good looks – " Raptor snorted. " – frankly, I can't wait to meet him! Uh, you know. Back when he was in his prime." Raptor frowned. There was something very off about this kid. Before any of them could question him further, Nightwing came walking up holding a glass of water.

"Well, Bart," he said in a conversational manner. "Coming all the way from the future, you must have worked up quite the thirst." He offered the glass to the tied up speedster, tilting it towards him so he could drink from it without using his arms.

"Thanks!" Impulse said cheerfully. He slurped from the water for a few seconds and then pulled away suddenly, grinning. "Oh, I get it," he said. "You're trying to get a DNA sample. You need my spit." He leaned forward again, spitting into the glass. He clearly had nothing he was trying to hide. He grinned at Nightwing again. "That is such a Dick Grayson thing to do." Raptor tensed almost imperceptibly.

"How did – " Robin began, and then quickly cut himself off, grimacing. He seemed to realize that he'd just blown any attempt Nightwing could have made to cover Impulse's reveal.

"Nice going," Raptor muttered under her breath. Robin ignored her.

"See!" Impulse crowed, ignoring the tension. "I know stuff only a future boy would know." He jutted his chin out, motioning to the heroes as he listed their names. "Dick and Karla Grayson, Tim Drake, Garfield Logan and Sara Lance." Tim flinched when Impulse announced his name, and Beast Boy frowned. He turned to Robin.

"Your name's _Tim_?" he asked. He then turned to Nightwing. "And yours is _Dick?"_ White Canary, on the other hand, turned to Raptor. She grinned at the other girl, cocking an eyebrow playfully.

"Karla, huh?" Raptor ducked her head, but she was grinning slightly. White Canary smiled. Weirdly enough, it suited her.

"Oops!" Impulse said, as though he was just realizing his mistake. His shoulders tensed up apologetically. "Spoilers," he apologized. "This secret identity thing is so retro," he explained, chuckling nervously. "I mean, you can call me Impulse or Bart or Bart Allen or Bart Impulse Allen. It's all crash." Robin appraised the other teenager for another moment and then turned towards Nightwing.

"Is it possible he might be telling the truth?" He wondered aloud. "Could he really be from the future?" Beast Boy stalked up to Impulse and pointed at him menacingly, which was about as threatening as a bunny growling.

"Tell us something we don't know yet," he ordered. "When do I become leader of the Team? When do I join the Justice League? When do I get my own reality series?" Impulse shrugged, grinning slightly.

"Sorry BB," he apologized, ducking his head to hide the smile on his face. "Never been the best history student. Besides, we can't risk altering the time stream. We do that, we're all feeling the mode."

"And the mode," Raptor said from behind Beast Boy. "That would be bad." Impulse nodded, suddenly grave, a stark contrast to his previous personality.

"The worst," he agreed. "Always better to crash the mode."

"Uh," Beast Boy said, backing up slowly. "Noted?"

" _Recognized,"_ the computer announced. _"Malcolm Duncan: A-One-Zero."_ Impulse grinned, his shoulder straightening up again as he perked up.

"Ooh," he commented. "Sounds like a door opening up somewhere. And…that's my cue!" Without further explanation, Impulse began to vibrate his wrists and ankles back and forth so quickly that they were a blur. He stood up, the cuffs falling to the ground. He waggled his fingers back and forth in front of their faces, almost teasingly. "Bye-bye!" Beast Boy leaned forward, making a grab for him, but Impulse sped away.

He reached the door that was opening - the ramp from outside the Cave - just as it descended completely. Mal was on his motorcycle, and Impulse quickly greeted him before leaving.

"Don't worry," Beast Boy said confidently. "The peregrine falcon is the world's fastest bird! He won't get away!" White Canary watched the young boy go in mild amusement. Raptor scoffed from next to her.

"He doesn't stand a chance," she muttered.

"No," Nightwing said, handing the glass of water to Robin and going up to the monitor. "Impulse is too fast. But it doesn't matter. We can track him." White Canary frowned.

"Won't the tracer just fall off at the speed he's going?" she asked, confused. Nightwing should have thought of this. And clearly he had, because he turned around with a grin on his face.

"Nope," he replied confidently. "He drank it." Next to her, Robin lifted the glass of water to look at it more closely. He smiled as well.

"Subcutaneous micro-tracker in the water," he murmured. "Nice." Nightwing grinned from where he was sliding his fingers across the screen, tracing the blinking red dot's trajectory.

"Thanks." He turned towards the three younger heroes halfway. "He's making a beeline towards Central City." Nightwing pulled out his phone and pressed a number. The person on the other end picked up almost instantaneously. "Hey," he greeted the person. "I need your help."

"Um," Mal called from where he was still sitting on his motorcycle in shock. The three younger teenagers turned to look at him while Nightwing explained the situation to the person on the phone. "Someone want to tell me who the hell that kid was?"

* * *

 **HAPPY HARBOR**

 **February 28, 12:03 EST**

"So," Sara said, putting her hands in her pockets. Nightwing had dismissed them all and she and Raptor had changed into civvies and headed into Happy Harbor. "Can I call you Karla now?" The other girl turned towards her. To her surprise, she nodded.

"It appropriate times," she replied. "Like now." Karla ran a hand over her braided hair apprehensively and then pulled her sunglasses off. She blinked, grimacing at the bright light and then slipped her glasses into her pocket. She smiled nervously, her lip catching in between her teeth. Her dark blue eyes were surrounded by thick, full lashes, and were shining in the light. Sara grinned.

"Nice eyes," she said, pumping her hip against Karla's. The other girl stumbled a little, surprised. "Let's get some lunch."

 _*FLASHBACK*_

 _"Karla!" The cry of the name that the Talon hadn't heard in years made her stop short. The blade that she'd been holding in her hands clattered to the ground as she stared at her target in shock. Robin stared at her, one hand stretched outwards. The Talon stared at him for another moment and then scooped up her blade. Before Robin could react, he was pinned against the wall with the knife at his throat._

 _"How do you know that name?" she growled, pressing the blade into the exposed skin. Robin grunted, pushing back on the girl's steel grip on his forearm._

 _"That move," he managed to say. "That flip. It's a signature of the Flying Grayson's." The Talon hissed, and pulled her knife back, ready to thrust it into his heart and finish her mission. Before she could, Robin's hand flew out futilely. "Wait!" He insisted._

 _He didn't sound scared, exactly. He sounded desperate, but not for his own life. For something else. The Talon moved her hand from her death-grip on his arm and jammed it into his windpipe instead. He choked and coughed. "Karla, wait," he gasped. The Talon shook her head, hard, trying to keep it clear._

 _"Stop. Calling. Me. That."_

 _"Karla," he wheezed again, ignoring her command. "I know your brother. I know Dick." The Talon drew back suddenly, her heart hammering. Robin fell forward, coughing. He rubbed his throat carefully, and eyed the knife she still wielded warily._

 _The Talon didn't speak. She sheathed her knife and pretended that her hands weren't shaking. She turned her back, slowly, resolutely, and made to leave._

 _"Wait," Robin called out again. The Talon didn't turn around. "If you want to see him – I can help." The Talon paused, her footsteps slowing to a halt. She took a deep breath._

Don't turn back, _s_ _he ordered herself silently._

 _She kept walking._

 _*END FLASHBACK*_

* * *

"Your accent," Sara said. She leaned forward across the table, looking at Karla curiously. "What is it? And why don't you always have it?" Karla stirred her straw in her soda thoughtfully.

"Romanian was my first language," Karla offered, remembering growing up on the circus with a pang of nostalgia. "I grew up speaking both that and English and my accent used to be pretty heavy." She shrugged. "It faded over time, but even so, in the mask I was told it that it was too distinctive."

"By – " Sara broke off and raised her hands to either side of her head, poking her fingers up in an imitation of Batman's cowl. A reluctant smile twitched onto Karla's face.

"Yeah, him. Later. First it was –" Karla broke off suddenly, frowning. She looked down at her food. "You know." Sara eyed Karla curiously.

"I don't, actually," she said. Karla looked up again, eyes wide. "What?"

"Nothing," Karla said dismissively. She shrugged. "I didn't mean anything." Sara hesitated. Karla was a great liar, so it was hard to tell if what she had been going to say was important or not. Either way, Sara decided to change the subject.

"You're so different with me and my friends," Sara commented. "Than with the rest of the Team. Why?"

"You were the first person who tried," Karla muttered defensively. "And you're impossible to scare off." Sara laughed.

"I'm willingly friends with both Roy Harper and Mick Rory, remember?" Karla grinned again. A thought occurred to Sara. "Have you been _trying_ to scare me off?" Karla looked up, her eyebrows creased as she mulled that over.

"I don't know," she said after a minute. "Usually I don't have to try." Sara frowned, observing the other girl sadly. Karla didn't seem to be upset; her tone was rather matter-of-fact.

"Can I ask you a question that might be invasive?" Sara asked. Karla raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Why do you and Ro – uh, _Tim_ – not get along?" Karla's eyes turned stormy at the mere mention of the other Bat.

"He's just a replacement," Karla murmured. Sara remembered that being told that this Robin was the third. The first one had been Nightwing, and the second had died. His name was…Sara was drawing a blank. "Jason," Karla said, almost reverently, her eyes suddenly lost in time. "He was, I guess, _really_ the first person who tried." Karla was quiet for a moment, and then she changed the subject. "How was your calculus test?"

 _*FLASHBACK*_

 _Robin was patrolling the same sector of city blocks as the night he'd been attacked by the Talon – three nights ago. He had been battling with whether or not to tell Nightwing and Batman that he knew the Talon that had attacked him was Nightwing's sister. So far, he'd kept his mouth shut, just waiting for the right time - and the courage._

 _A whisper of feet made Robin stop short. He curled one hand around a birdarang instinctively, and pivoted. There was a girl standing there._

 _She was dressed in ragged, plain clothes – almost like prison clothes. Her long hair was tied back in a messy braid, like she'd done her hair without looking in a mirror. And her eyes were a dark blue, one that was all-too familiar to Robin. He dropped his hand from his weapon and relaxed, a reaction that probably wasn't the most appropriate considering their last encounter._

 _"Karla," he said, relief flooding through his voice. He hadn't seen her face the other night, of course, but there was no doubt that this was Dick's sister. They looked exactly the same. The girl didn't answer, but she tipped her head slightly, acknowledging the name. She took a step forward, and Robin winced._

 _"Ouch," he said instinctively. Spread across one side of her face was a huge, angry bruise. It was purple in color, and it looked like someone had hit her across the face,_ hard. " _Did I do that?"_

 _"The Court," Karla said. Her voice was hoarse, like she wasn't used to using it. "Does not take failure lightly." It didn't take Robin long to realize what failure she was speaking of. She had let him live._

 _"Oh," Robin said. "Well, thanks…I guess." Karla tipped her head back slightly and shrugged. It was then that Robin realized why her voice was hoarse. There were more bruises dotting around her throat, looking exactly like fingerprints if someone had been choking her. He winced again._

 _"It was not wise of me," she said quietly. She took a step forward, reluctantly. "But I…I think you know me." Her eyes were shining brightly, fervently hopeful._

 _"Maybe," Robin said. He offered her his hand. "Come with me." Karla stared at him for a long moment, and Robin was afraid she was going to leave again. But she took his hand. Robin turned to lead her away, but she planted her feet and squeezed his hand once. He turned back, confused._

 _"One more thing," she added. Suddenly, her eyes were hard and cold. "If you are lying, I will not hesitate to slit your throat." She bared her teeth at him, her smile sharp and unforgiving. "Just so we are clear."_

 _*END FLASHBACK*_

* * *

Later that day, after the sun had gone down, White Canary and Raptor gathered back at Mount Justice with three Flashes, Impulse, and Nightwing. Neither of the girls was required to be there, but both – along with Beast Boy, Robin, and Mal – were interested in what the verdict was.

"Impulse's data matches up with both Iris and you, Barry," Nightwing announced as he analyzed the results of the DNA. He nodded towards the huge machine that was still sitting in the middle of the room. "And this thing," he said. "Is giving off both Zeta and Chronotron Radiation."

"Which, based on pure theory," Kid Flash continued, still sounding a little skeptical. Wally West appeared to have come out of retirement for a day. "Is what you'd expect to find radiating off a time machine." Flash nodded, rubbing his chin. He glanced down at Impulse, smiling slightly, and placed a hand on the kid's shoulder.

"Which means you're exactly who you say you are," he said, grinning. Impulse smiled back.

"Congratulations," White Canary teased with a grin. "You _are_ the grandfather."

"Ha!" Impulse gloated. "Told ya! Anyway," he said, backing up. "It's been crash, but the future awaits! I gotta… _run!_ " Raptor grimaced at the bad pun, and Kid Flash facepalmed. "Ha!" Impulse said again. "See what I did there? With the run? That was for you, Gramps!" Flash walked up to Impulse, who was getting ready to board his time machine.

"Bart," he said, his voice soft. Impulse turned to face his grandfather. "Thanks for coming. I look forward to meeting you again for the first time and watching you grow up." Impulse smiled softly, his eyes bright beneath his goggles.

"That," he said empathetically. " _Will_ be crash." He threw his arms around Flash's waist and squeezed his grandfather tightly. The elder speedster's eyes widened, and he looked down at the teenager before smiling and returning the embrace. After a few seconds, Impulse tugged away. "So long!"

He swung into his time machine and pulled the door shut behind him. It closed with a loud clang, and residual steam billowed out of it again. But after that – nothing. Everyone exchanged looks.

"Maybe he's traveling forward one second at a time?" Beast Boy offered. Before anyone could correct the young hero, Impulse kicked the door open. He leapt out of the machine, and glared at it balefully.

"It's not _working_!" he protested. "The whole thing's fried!" He kicked the machine, whether in frustration or a desperate attempt to make it work or both, it was hard to tell. Flash walked up to his grandson, concerned.

"Can you fix it?" he asked. Impulse shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm a tourist, not a _chronol_ expert!" He groaned, throwing his hands up in the air. "Look at me. I'm trapped in the stupid _past_." He dragged his hands down over his face, sighing. "Ugh. I'm so moded."

Most of the people in the room looked at Impulse with sympathy mixed with mild confusion. Raptor, on the other hand, was watching Impulse suspiciously. She didn't think he had ill intentions of any kind, but there was definitely something _off_ about him.

* * *

 **STAR CITY**

 **March 1, 02:39 PDT**

Rip Hunter, one of Sara Lance's good friends, was still awake despite the late hour. He walked down the stairs to the basement of his house and over to the inconspicuous fuse box in the corner. He pulled a keychain from out of his pocket and flipped through the keys until he found the right one to unlock the fuse box.

When he pulled it open, it revealed not fuses but instead a keypad. Rip scanned his hand on the screen next to it, and then punched in a code. There was a beep acknowledging and processing his code, and then a hiss as the wall swung open.

Rip walked into the now revealed hidden room, where his girlfriend Gideon was already working. The girl was frowning at a set of data points appearing on the screen in front of her. Rip walked over, his heart hammering as he processed the look on her face.

"Bad news?" he asked, a note of concern edging at his voice. They'd been trying for ages to fix the future, and clearly someone else had come with a similar idea that day. One of his and Gideon's quests had been completed for them - but maybe it hadn't worked?

"Unfortunately," she replied, her mouth twisting down. "Neutron _was_ successfully neutralized and cured," she reassured Rip. She hesitated like she wanted to say more. "But – well," she broke off. "See for yourself."

Gideon pushed the screen over so Rip could see as well. The other Brit frowned at the data, pushing his hair out of his eyes as he leaned in closer. For a moment, he didn't see anything amiss – the world was in ruins, controlled by one force. But then his eyes widened when he realized the change.

"Hang on – " he said, hoping he was wrong. One look at his girlfriend told him otherwise. She nodded grimly.

"The Reach is no longer in control of the world forty years from now _or_ in our time, the 22nd century," she said. Gideon's eyes were dark with worry as she continued, "But Vandal Savage is."

* * *

 **A.R.G.U.S. HEADQUARTERS**

 **February 28, 21:07 EST**

"Director Wren!" The girl turned around. John Diggle, one of A.R.G.U.S.'s senior agents was walking towards her. John had just returned from leading the quote-on-quote "Suicide Squad" on a mission with Lyla Micheals, his wife.

"Dig," Paityn said, smiling. She had partially grown up at A.R.G.U.S. under Amanda Waller, and the older man had been a constant presence through her childhood. He was one of the few people who didn't usually call her 'Director,' but even he tried to address her formally in a work setting. Her smile faltered when she saw his face. "What is it?"

"We, uh," he said. He grimaced. "We ran into some trouble on the mission." Paityn frowned. The mission had been mostly routine, so the look of worry on his face was concerning.

"What kind of trouble?" Dig hesitated, and then pointed down the hallway. Paityn squinted. Two agents were carrying a stretcher with a teenage boy on it. It only took one glance for Paityn to know who it was.

"Shit," she muttered, rubbing a hand over her face and looking away. She closed her eyes, cursing herself. She should have come clean about this five months ago.

Now it was too late.

* _FLASHBACK*_

 _"Director!" Paityn turned around. She was about eight months into working at and directing A.R.G.U.S., and she was slowly getting better at leading. Still, it felt weird to be addressed as 'Director,' especially by people who were mostly older than her._

 _"Yes, Agent Gross?" Paityn addressed the young woman who had come up to her._

 _"We have new intel on the whereabouts of Talia al Ghul," Agent Gross announced. She handed a tablet to Paityn. "You're not going to like it." Paityn frowned, drawing a finger across the screen._

 _Photos of the woman came up on the screen, along with coordinates of her latest confirmed position. Paityn glanced at the time – just under three hours ago. She looked back at the coordinates, translating them in her mind._

 _"_ Gotham _City?" She murmured, frowning. She looked at the coordinates again, her brain slowly processing the_ exact _location of Talia al Ghul. "Gotham Cemetery," Paityn muttered. She looked up at her agent. "What the hell is al Ghul doing in the Gotham City Ceme – " She broke off, suddenly, her voice faltering. Her eyes went wide._

 _"Director?" Agent Gross said cautiously. Paityn's eyes flashed back to the other woman's face and she handed the tablet back to her agent._

 _"I'm going to check it out," she said. She lifted a hand to her comm. "Akari," she radioed her friend. "Meet me at the Zeta's." Without another word, Paityn strode down the hallway, leaving her bewildered agent behind._

 _Akari frowned at her friend. Paityn was pacing back and forth in front of the machine._

 _"What's wrong with you?" the Asian girl asked. Paityn turned towards her friend._

 _"Let's just go." The two girls Zetaed to Gotham City, and walked to the cemetery. Akari followed Paityn, still not exactly sure what was going on. Paityn had explained a little on the walk over – that she was tracking Talia al Ghul – but Akari wasn't sure why Paityn seemed so wound up._

 _"Paityn, what are you_ doing _?" Akari asked as Paityn knelt in front of a tombstone. She touched the ground in front of it. It was soft, not packed down by people walking over and around it. Which didn't make sense, it had been months since the_ _funeral, and Paityn knew for a fact that people visited the grave often._

 _"This dirt is fresh," Paityn said. Her voice was strained. "Like someone dug the grave up and then put dirt down again." Akari shook her head. She had no idea what Paityn was going on about._

 _"Paityn, what –" Akari's voice faded when she realized which gravestone they were standing in front of. "Oh," she said quietly. "_ Oh." _Paityn stood back up, her eyes shaded._

 _"Yeah._ Oh."

* _END FLASHBACK*_

Paityn squeezed her eyes shut. She wished she'd listened to Akari and had told Dick last month. Or the month before, or the one before, or even immediately after she realized what had happened.

But she hadn't. She'd covered it up, professionally justifying it as classified knowledge. She'd justified it personally by telling herself that she had been protecting Dick by not telling him until she was certain of what had happened. She should have known that she had only been delaying the inevitable.

Because the boy on the stretcher in front of her was unconscious but breathing – he was alive.

And he was Jason Todd.

* * *

 **dun dun dun.**

 **i have... _plans_ for jason and rip/gideon. i hope they don't suck. **

**also as for karla's ship - her bonding with jaime will start soon enough, but i figured this chapter was picking up enough new subplots** **already, so.**

 **anyways please leave a review and let me know if you hated it, liked it, loved it!** **i really appreciate the feedback!**

 **thank you!**


	6. Depths

**To KingPenguinJG: thank you! And yes, like you've noticed I've fudged a few things to make it work into the YJ universe. As for your other questions...to be honest I haven't given it much thought. I may develop some of what you said into a plot after the episode plot line is over, but at the moment since a) my plot is kind of busy already and b) i don't have the comics on hand, I'm not going to. Sorry to disappoint!**

 **To Guest: Thank you so much!**

 **To Natalie: (pretty sure you're referring to the Jason thing) Yeah, Karla's reaction is going to be...well, spoilers so I won't say. :)**

 **To TheGoldenhand: Thank you so much! Obviously you don't have to, but I do love to hear from you...so feel free to continue to review every chapter if you want!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice**

* * *

 **A.R.G.U.S. HEADQUARTERS**

 **February 29, 08:17 EDT**

Paityn walked into the medical wing of A.R.G.U.S. Headquarters. Akari was following close on her heels. The Japanese girl had been out last night, and she had hardly believe Paityn when she told her about their unexpected visitor.

The medial room was a really a long hall. It was white and very bland and blank, like any other hospital. Of the dozens of beds in the room, only two of them were occupied.

Diggle and Lyla were already in the room, and Paityn greeted them with a swift nod. She moved to the bed they were gathered around, and looked down at the boy laying in it.

Jason Todd, for all accounts, looked almost completely normal and healthy. He was unconscious, yes, but only because he was being heavily sedated. When Jason had come to the night before, he'd been extremely violent, thus Paityn's decision to keep him under.

Paityn checked his vitals anxiously. She had to keep reassuring herself that he was still well. The only thing worse than telling Dick that she'd concealed Jason's resurrection from him would be telling him that she'd also killed him again after he'd been resurrected.

"He's fine, Director," Lyla soothed the younger woman. Paityn stepped back, taking a deep breath. She nodded slowly.

"He's not…himself," she replied, remembering the night before when he'd attacked three of her agents who had been trying to take care of him. "I didn't know him well before," she continued. "But he wasn't like this." Akari touched Jason's wrist gently, her eyes dark with worry.

"How did you find him, again?" She asked, looking at the two older agents. Diggle huffed.

"He came out of nowhere," the older man said. He nodded towards the other occupant in the room, a female with pale skin and a long blonde hair."Nearly killed Quinn." Akari frowned.

"Why?"

"Joker killed him," Paityn murmured, eyes still fixed on the boy in front of her. She bent forward, so that her blonde hair fell in front of her eyes. She blinked slowly, like she was remembering. "Harley Quinn might have been involved also." Akari shook her head.

"That's not what I meant," she said. "You said it yourself – this isn't like Jason. Why would he try to kill someone?" Paityn sighed.

"I've heard of it before," she replied. Her voice was somber. "Talia al Ghul must have used the Lazarus Pit to resurrect him. It's often used to longevity, but when it's used to bring back someone from the dead, I've heard it's often at the cost of their soul." There was long, grave moment of silence, and then Akari spoke quietly.

"Now we tell Dick," she said. To Akari's immense surprise, Paityn stood up straight and shook her head, firmly.

"No," she replied. Akari's eyebrows shot up, and Diggle and Lyla looked surprised as well.

" _No?"_ Akari said, incredulously. "Paityn, come on. We _need_ to tell him that –" Paityn shook her head once more, her eyes flashing as she rounded on her friend.

"I said no," she repeated herself resolutely. She looked at her friends, and then turned to leave the room. Her footsteps echoed as she walked towards the door. "I think we can cure him. I just need to do a little research – I need a little more time."

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **March 19, 11:42 EDT**

Raptor stood in the briefing room with Mal and Nightwing. The teenage girl was standing in front of the holographic screens. She was focused on one in particular – the one that showed a picture of the original Roy Harper, laying in a hospital bed. Red Arrow had managed to find him, apparently with the help of his (ex?) wife, Cheshire. Raptor wondered how Sara felt.

Mal was staring at the pictures of the two teenage boys with a mixture of dismay, disbelief, and irritation. He looked from the speedster to the archer, and then at Nightwing, raising an eyebrow.

"They're both going to wind up our responsibility, aren't they?" Nightwing shook his head.

"Not necessarily," he replied, sounding hopeful. "Bart, Impulse, is staying with Jay and Joan Garrick in Central City. Roy, the original Speedy, is recuperating at Royal Memorial Hospital in Star City. Arrows Green and Red are watching over him." Mal nodded dubiously, looking sarcastic and annoyed.

"Uh-huh," he said. He glanced at Superboy pointedly. "They're both gonna wind up our responsibility." Superboy rolled his eyes, agreeing with Mal.

"Doesn't everything?" He then turned towards their leader. "I mean, where are we on identifying the Light's new partner?" Nightwing sighed. He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, as though he'd just remembered the matter that had been pressing at all of them for weeks.

"No progress," he replied. Before the conversation could continue further, a giggle broke into the silence. Raptor turned to see Lagoon Boy and Miss Martian entering the room. In front of the two of them was a floating plate that Miss Martian was levitating by the use of telekinesis.

Seemed quite lazy, in Raptor's opinion.

"La'gaan," Miss Martian chastised, laughing at her boyfriend's eagerness. "Don't eat so fast!" Paying no mind to his girlfriend's request, Lagoon Boy popped another of the little brown ball into his mouth, chewed and swallowed loudly, and then answered her.

"I can't help it, Angelfish," he responded. "The idea of cooking crabs is amazing enough, but making them into _cakes_?" He held up another crab cake and shook his head in wonder. He popped into his mouth, wolfing down another crab cake. Miss Martian shook her head, laughing at her boyfriend's antics.

"You're going to choke!" she protested. Raptor rolled her eyes.

"I wish," she muttered. Lagoon Boy could be _so_ annoying. Superboy shot her a look, and to Raptor's surprise, it was amused as opposed to chastising.

"Here," Miss Martian continued. "Let me." She picked up one of the cakes and held it to his face. He gulped it down, and she picked up another, feeding him. Raptor's lip curled, and she turned her back. She hated PDA with a burning passion.

"Mmm," Lagoon Boy hummed. He looked up, fixing his eyes on Superboy challengingly. "If that's not true love, I don't know what is… _chum._ " Superboy scowled, his shoulders stiffening tightly. Raptor could still remember when he and Miss Martian had been dating, and it was no wonder why he was reacting this way, or why Lagoon Boy was trying to get a rise out of the Boy of Steel in the first place.

"Call me when it's time for the briefing," Superboy said, his voice surprisingly calm as he walked towards the exit. Before he'd even left the room, the Zeta Tube powered up.

" _Recognized: Artemis: B-Zero-Seven."_ The young woman strode out of the Zeta Tube. For the first time in a long time, she was in uniform and holding a bow over her shoulder. She looked around the Cave with a grin, remembering old times. Nightwing smirked.

"Time for the briefing," he told the clone. Superboy turned back around, smiling at the sight of Artemis. Miss Martian grinned, and she rushed forwards, leaving Lagoon Boy to grab for the plate as it fell towards the ground, her concentration breaking.

"Artemis!" the Martian cried, throwing her arms around her old friend. Artemis grinned, returning the embrace.

"Hi, M'gann!" she chirped. The two girls hugged for a few seconds, and then Miss Martian pulled back, gripping Artemis's arms as she looked her friend up and down.

"How's Wally?" Miss Martian asked with a grin. Artemis laughed, shaking her head fondly at the mention of her boyfriend.

"He's… _Wally_ ," replied Artemis. Both of them laughed, and Mal walked up to the blonde and the Martian.

"Welcome back, girl!" he greeted Artemis. She stepped back from Miss Martian, turning to face the tall man.

"Hey Mal!" Superboy had crossed the room again, coming to stand in front of the archer clad in green. He was smiling as well, his mood changing from irritation at Lagoon Boy.

"We have so missed you around here," he told her sincerely.

"Conner!" Artemis exclaimed, greeting her old friend. Before she could say more to catch up with any of them, Lagoon Boy stepped up. He placed a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder and surveyed Artemis seriously.

"I relish this opportunity to finally fight beside you, archer," he told her formally. Artemis blinked, not knowing quite what to make of the Atlantean.

"Um," she said hesitantly. "Thanks, La'gaan?" Raptor giggled at the awkward encounter, and Artemis grinned when she saw the younger girl. She stepped forward and gave Raptor a quick hug, before pulling back. Neither of the girls said anything, but it was clear that they were close friends, or at least as close as Raptor could be with someone.

"Okay, Gamma Squad," Nightwing said, drawing the attention back to himself. Everyone turned around, fanning out so they could see Nightwing. "Listen up. The mission's Cape Canaveral," he told them, pointing to the picture displayed across the holographic monitor. It was displaying a live feed of the rocket launch. "A covert op, to safeguard the first Earth-Mars com-sat. There are people out there who don't even like the _idea_ of aliens, and would do anything to scrub this launch."

Next to Raptor, Miss Martian's shoulder slumped, and she looked down sadly. Artemis noticed, and she reached out to place a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder.

"But that's why I came back," Artemis reminded her friend soothingly. "Because not all of us feel that way." Miss Martian smiled back slightly, grateful for her friend.

"Nightwing, why are you going?" Raptor asked, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at her brother accusingly. She couldn't shake the feeling that he wanted to keep an eye on her. "I don't need a babysitter, if that's why." Nightwing smirked, shaking his head at his younger sister.

"Let's just say that after running this Team for a year," he responded. "I'm peckish for a little action." Raptor snorted and rolled her eyes, and Nightwing rubbed the top of her head affectionately, messing of her braid. She ducked out from underneath his hand, and he laughed. "Okay, Gamma," he said. "Move out – to the BioShip."

Raptor, Miss Martian, Superboy and Lagoon Boy headed towards the hanger, but Artemis hung back, looking at Nightwing in concern. He looked up at her, forehead creasing in concern.

"Everything okay?" he asked her. Artemis nodded quickly, and looked around to make sure no one would overhear.

"Are you sure bringing Raptor is a good idea?" Artemis asked in a low voice. "I mean, if she's with us…do you really think she can handle – "

"She'll be fine," Nightwing cut Artemis off. He was confident, but he was also a tad defensive. He hated it when people made comments about how he was mentoring his sister – he knew what he was doing. "I need another set of hands," Nightwing continued. "She can handle it."

* * *

 **CAPE CANAVERAL**

 **March 19, 20:59 EDT**

Raptor looked down at the beach below her. She was on a tower, overlooking the launch site.

Artemis and Nightwing held binoculars to their eyes, but Raptor was just looking through her domino mask. The sun was setting, making the waves glow orange and pink, illuminated by the last fiery rays of the sun. It was gorgeous, and the sound of the crashing waves was very relaxing.

"If nothing else," Artemis commented, lowering her binoculars. "We have a nice view." Raptor hummed in agreement, but Nightwing didn't respond. He pressed the comm. in his ear to contact the others.

"Miss M.," he ordered their resident telepath. "Link us up." Raptor blinked, the familiar probing, tugging sensation in her brain alerting her to the fact that the Martian had heeded their leader's orders.

' _Link established,'_ she responded mentally. Nightwing lowered his hand from the radio in his ear, looking up reflexively.

 _'Good. Began aerial sweep of the perimeter.'_ Lagoon Boy's voice chimed into the mental link.

' _Hey, boss, I'd be happy to join my Angelfish on that assignment.'_ Raptor scoffed out loud, and Nightwing shot her a look. But even he seemed slightly irritated.

' _Negative, Lagoon Boy,'_ he replied. ' _You're right where I need you – giving me maximum coverage. In the water, on land, in the air in case there's any attempt at sabotage.'_ Lagoon Boy didn't answer, but Raptor was willing to bet that he wasn't pleased with Nightwing's response.

Gamma Squad lapsed into silence, both out loud and telepathically. Raptor watched the sun go down completely, and as the light of the sun faded, stars began to blink above their heads.

"I know I'm not Wally's favorite person right now," Nightwing said, breaking the silence as he looked at Artemis. "But it is nice to have you back." Artemis grinned, looking at Nightwing and then at Raptor who had turned towards her.

"It's nice to be back," she responded. "I didn't realize how much I'd been missing it. Which is pretty much what Wally's afraid of," she added with a dry chuckle. "He's worried that the rush that comes with the mask will get its hooks in, and I won't give it up again until my dying day." As Artemis spoke, she was putting together her compressible compact bow. She pulled the string back, testing it out.

"I know exactly what you mean," Nightwing said, smiling. Raptor was silent, considering this opinion. She turned her back towards her older teammates, pretending to be surveying the beach once again. Really, she was considering what Artemis had just said.

Raptor had never thought about it before, but Artemis and Nightwing fought crime while wearing a mask and costume because they liked it. They could step in and out of their personas as they pleased.

Raptor wondered what that was like.

* _FLASHBACK*_

 _Karla Grayson was sitting in her European History class on her third day at Gotham Academy. It had been almost two months since Jason Todd had found her and she had left the Court. For those first two months, her brother had hardly wanted to let Karla out of his sight. Bruce Wayne – who was_ Batman – _had finally convinced Dick that Karla needed to start passing the semblance of a normal life. So Gotham Academy it was._

 _Karla hunched forward, her shoulders tight beneath the stiff white dress shirt of her uniform. Every small sound made her jump – someone dropping their pencil, someone blowing their nose. The sound of the clock ticking._

 _The bell rang, signaling the end of class, and Karla leapt to her feet. Her eyes were wild, and she received a few wary glances from other students as she ran from the classroom, leaving all her things behind. She didn't care. She needed to be out._

 _Karla paused by the wall, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her panic only became worse as people began flooding the hallways to their next class._

Beware the Court of Owls, _she thought to herself, the nursery rhyme ringing through her head._ That watches all the time… _they know. They knew were she was. And they were going to come find her._

 _Someone grabbed her elbow, and Karla's eyes flew open. A blonde haired boy was staring at her concern._

 _"Hey," he said. "Are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the nurse's office?"_ _Karla shook her head wildly, not in a response to his question, but in an attempt to clear her head._

Beware the Court, _she thought hysterically. The boy shook her, gently, trying to get her attention._

 _"Come on," he persuaded her. "This way – " Before he could finish his sentence, before Karla could fully process what was going on, she had launched her fist towards his face._

 _*END FLASHBACK*_

Lagoon Boy's voice broke through the mental link once more. For once, instead of complaining, he was actually relying important information.

 _'Heads up, minnows,'_ he warned the rest of Gamma Squad. Raptor blinked out of her thoughts, shaking her head once more. _'We got bad guys,'_ he continued. ' _Black Manta's troopers. Working some kind of platform beneath the surface just off shore. I'm taking them down!'_

' _Belay that,_ ' Nightwing ordered, turning to face the water line. His face was suddenly tight. _'Wait for backup.'_

' _I'll scrounge a re-breather from the cargo hold,'_ Superboy offered. ' _Help the_ rookie _out.'_ His mental voice was tense; he clearly wasn't worried about hurting Lagoon Boy's feelings.

'Rookie _?'_ Lagoon Boy muttered over the mental link. His irritation was so potent that even the unpowered Raptor could sense it over the psychic link. ' _Neptune's Beard! I don't need any help from the Boy of Steel!'_ His voice, too, became harsh and aggressive.

' _Lagoon Boy, stand down!'_ Nightwing ordered, realizing that Lagoon Boy was about to disobey explicit orders.

' _Sorry, you're breaking up,'_ Lagoon Boy replied. ' _Chrrt-chrrt.'_ Nightwing gritted his teeth, spinning around and shaking his head with evident frustration.

 _'There's no_ static _on a physic link!'_ he snapped. Lagoon Boy ignored him. Raptor's eyes swept over the darkened beach again, and her eyes narrowed. Manta Troopers were storming the beach.

"We got company," she warned Artemis and Nightwing. Both of them turned to look where she was pointing. Artemis drew her bow, and knocked a zip-line arrow, aiming carefully. Even out of practice, her shot was steady.

Raptor pulled a hook out of her utility belt and looped it around the line. She swung off the tower after Artemis and Nightwing, enjoying the rush of the cool wind on her face. Her braided hair streamed out behind her.

The Manta Troopers were shooting at the heroes as the three moving targets descended towards them. Most of the shots went wide, but one pinged Raptor in the side. The Kevlar was thick enough that it didn't even break her uniform, but it did twinge a little - she'd likely have a bruise there later. She grimaced, and leapt off the line, rolling towards the cover of the wall between them and their adversaries.

' _Superboy,'_ Nightwing called as he and the two girls flattened themselves against the wall. Lasers hit the sand in front of them, scattering the fine grains and scorching the ground. _'Got that re-breather?'_

 _'Negative,'_ the clone grumbled. 'La'gaan _didn't restock.'_

 _'Then take the helm,'_ Nightwing decided. ' _Miss Martian, gill up and help Lagoon Boy. Superboy, we need cover fire down here.'_ Raptor reached behind her, pulling out her long katana. She gripped it in the hand covered with the gauntlet, and then in her other hand she pulled out a dagger.

' _Acknowledged,'_ Miss Martian replied. ' _BioShip re-configured for manual flight.'_ A moment later, she called to her boyfriend. ' _La'gaan – I'm on my way!'_

Raptor could hear blasts on the other side, and she turned around. She hoisted herself up so she could just peek over the side of the wall without being at risk of being shot. The BioShip, just a faint shimmer against the night sky in her camouflage mode, was laying down fire for them.

' _That's our cue!'_ Artemis decided. She leapt up, not looking where she was going. Just before a laser beam could hit her, Nightwing grabbed her ankle and tugged her back down behind the wall, throwing her against the sand.

' _I know you're_ rusty _,'_ he snapped. ' _But are you_ trying _to get yourself killed?'_ Raptor looked around, her teeth grit in frustration. The Manta Troopers had just launched their first attack at the shuttle, and the missile was flying over their heads. They could nothing but watch.

' _We're on the wrong side of this wall!'_ she said, twisting her blade in her hand nervously. She glanced up at the missile zooming towards the rocket. Before it reached its destination, Superboy steered the BioShip up behind it and destroyed the missile. But it was only the beginning.

An alarm started to blare, and all three heroes turned. The rocket had began to steam, likely about to launch. Artemis glanced over her shoulder again, looking at the sign on the wall. It read: "WARNING: EXTREME FIRE DANGER BLAST AREA."

Translation: they were in imminent danger of dying painful, fiery deaths.

 _'We are_ really _on the wrong side of the wall,_ ' Artemis exclaimed. They peeked over the side of the wall again, ducking back under as the Troopers fired at them. ' _The Troopers helmets!'_ Artemis realized. ' _Designed to enhance vision underwater, right?'_ Withoutwaiting for a response, Artemis knocked an arrow and aimed it upwards.

Raptor watched as it sailed into the sky. It exploded, expelling a flash of light that had even Raptor screwing her eyes up to look away. She could only imagine how it would effect the Troopers.

' _Move!'_ Nightwing ordered. Raptor forced herself to blink her eyes open, and she leapt over the wall in one smooth movement. She landed on the ground in a three-point stance, both of her blades pointing outwards.

Shooting to her feet, Raptor spun around, striking out with her longer blade and knocking over three Manta Troopers in one hit. She wove around the Troopers, ducking their blows and trying to avoid being hit by their blasts.

Raptor sliced one of them in the wrist, and he dropped his gun. The Trooper pulled out a short staff. It crackled with electricity, and Raptor eyed it warily. She'd been shocked by Robin's bō staff before (he'd _claimed_ it was an accident) and she knew how much it hurt.

Keeping her distance, Raptor took a few steps back and the Trooper followed her. Raptor jumped up, tucking into a ball with her blades pointing backwards as not to stab herself, and landed behind the Trooper. Before he could turn around, she kicked him in the back and he fell forwards.

Raptor turned around, watching as Artemis knocked aside one Trooper and then drew her bow to shoot another in front of her. As she turned her back on the first one, the Trooper clambered to his feet and pulled out a blade. Raptor's eyes widened, and she rushed forward, opening her mouth to call out a warning.

Before either she or Nightwing could get to Artemis, however, the blonde had swung around and kicked the Trooper down again. She shot an arrow at him for good measure and then looked up to see both Raptor and Nightwing looking at her in surprise.

 _'What?'_ she protested. ' _I'm not_ that _rusty.'_ Then Artemis's eyes widened below her mask as they focused on something behind the two Bats.

Raptor turned around, and she immediately saw what Artemis saw. Kaldur'ahm was rising out of the ocean, his pale sea-green/grey eyes narrowed in a menacing stare.

 _'They've taken La'gaan!'_ Miss Martian cried out in the mental link, unaware of Kaldur's presence on the beach. ' _I'm going after him.'_

 _'Priority is the missiles,'_ Superboy bit out. Another one exploded over their heads as he ended off another attack, but it was clear that they were getting closer to destroying the launch with each missile. ' _There are too many! I'm not keeping up.'_

On the beach, Kaldur advanced slowly towards his old friends. Raptor sheathed her long sword, freeing up her hand with the gauntlet. She stiffened into a battle stance, ready to fight.

"Kaldur!" Artemis cried out, trying to reason with her old friend and leader. She took a few steps forward. "You don't want to do this!" Kaldur sneered at the blonde, shaking his head at her naivety.

"I believe I do," he responded in a cold tone. He whipped his water bearers out to the side, and the seawater around him began to glow a brighter blue color. It rose up around the Atleantean, forming into a serpent-like creature.

It knocked Artemis out of the way and to the ground, but Raptor flipped away. She looked at Kaldur scornfully.

"Hoping to win points for creativity?" she spat, voice full of venom as she glared at the Atlantean. "A for effort." Before either she could make another remark, or Kaldur could respond, a loud roar sounded from behind the girl. It successfully interrupted their conversation. Raptor turned around instinctively, and a rush of relief sped through her veins.

The satellite was launching. Their mission was a success.

Raptor had clearly made that assessment of the situation too soon, as another, smaller, missile came flying towards the rocket launch. Artemis stood up and shot an arrow after it. The head of the arrow broke off and transformed into a mini-missile itself, colliding with Kaldur's and destroying both. Artemis smirked.

"No rust on me," she remarked proudly.

"Artemis! Raptor! Behind you!" Raptor swung around, just in time to see Nightwing get tossed aside by a hit from one of Kaldur's water hammers. Raptor started forward, confidently.

After all, it was just water, right? A _liquid._ It couldn't hurt that badly –

Kaldur swung his water hammer, catching the cockily careless Raptor in the gut. She gasped as she was thrown backwards by the force, hitting the cold sand hard. She was immobilized by the hit for a second, cursing herself for not being more careful.

Raptor managed to shove herself back up, her entire body protesting as she did so. She managed to sit up just in time to uselessly watch, horrified, as Kaldur knocked Artemis's bow aside and transformed his water hammer into a sword. Artemis struggled in his grip, but he held her fast.

And then – he stabbed her in the stomach.

"Welcome back," he hissed, his eyes glinting coldly.

"No," Raptor whispered, her heart pounding wildly. She watched, motionless in horror was Kaldur retracted his sword and let it dissolve back into its liquid state. Artemis stumbled backwards, gasping and clutched her wound.

"Artemis!" Nightwing cried out, anguished. He rushed forward, grabbing her and cradling her to the ground. "I got you," he reassured her. "Hang on."

Faintly, Raptor could hear Kaldur ordering his Troopers to retreat. Faintly, she was aware that the satellite had exploded above their heads, meaning that Artemis had died for _nothing_. But she couldn't focus on that.

 _*FLASHBACK*_

 _Jason stood in the principal's office in front of Karla. He was seething._

 _Karla was curled forward, her white shirt splattered with blood. Blood from the boy she'd beat up for no reason._

 _"Jason?" A voice called. He turned around. Artemis Crock, a senior at Gotham Academy, one of Dick's friends and one of Jason's teammates was approaching him. She was frowning, and she looked concerned. "What's going on?"_

 _"Dick's sister is a psychopath," Jason snapped. He glared at Karla balefully, and the girl curled into herself even more tightly. Jason felt a stab of_ _guilt as he spoke, but he was still mad. Karla was better than this._

 _Artemis's eyes slid over to Karla and she frowned, nodding slowly. She remembered when Dick had told her, shell-shocked, that his sister was alive. She also remembered that he'd told her she'd been raised as one of the Talons - assassins for the Court of Owls._

 _"Okay," Artemis said. She looked at Jason. "Go to class. I have a free now, and I'll wait with her." Jason hesitated for a minute, considering. Then he nodded, sighing._

 _"Fine," he agreed. "Bruce should be here soon." He hesitated, and then added, "Thank you." Artemis nodded._

 _The blonde watched as Jason started to walk out, back to the hallway. Before he left completely, he turned back and knelt in front of Karla. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but she was guessing he was apologizing. Karla didn't answer, or even nod, but Jason brushed his hand against her cheek gently and then left._

 _Artemis stepped forward. She touched Karla's shoulder gently, and the girl looked up. Her eyes were wild, and her hair was a mess. Her lower lip was split._

 _"Karla," Artemis said. The girl didn't respond. Artemis frowned. "Your name is Karla, right?" She checked. There was another beat of silence, and then Karla inhaled once, deeply. Her shoulders relaxed, and she slumped in on herself._

 _"Karla," she whispered under her breath. She closed her eyes, and her eyelids looked bruised, like she hadn't slept in a while. "Yes. That's me." Artemis frowned. She sat down on the bench next to the girl._

 _Footsteps made Artemis look up. Bruce Wayne was entering the office, scowling slightly. Artemis stood up nervously - Bruce Wayne was certainly less scary than Batman, but he was still intimidating._

 _The billionaire towards two girls sitting in front of the principal's office. He looked at Karla, at the blood on her shirt and sweater, and took stock of the situation quickly._

 _"Artemis," he greeted the blonde girl. He looked at Karla, and his eyes narrowed. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. "What happened?"_

 _"I'm not sure, exactly," Artemis admitted. "I heard she, uh. Got in a fight." Bruce nodded, loosening his tie with a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose. The office door opened and the principal looked out, beckoning Bruce in._

 _"Mr. Wayne," the principal said. He looked a mixture of angry and disappointed. "Please come in." He then focused his eyes on Artemis. "Ms. Crock. You may go_ _back to class." Artemis shook her head._

 _"I'll stay with Karla," she insisted. "I have a free." The principal sighed, and Bruce Wayne shot Artemis a grateful look. He followed the principal into his office. Artemis looked down at the girl on the bench. Karla hadn't moved or said a word throughout the entire exchange._

 _"Everything's going to be fine," Artemis reassured the younger teenager. Artemis thought of her own life, better than this girl's but still bad, and felt a stab of protectiveness run through her. "You'll be fine."_

 _*END FLASHBACK*_

On the beach, three years from when she'd met Artemis for the first time, Raptor watched the older girl bleed to death in front of her eyes. Because she'd gotten too cocky and screwed up.

And then – Raptor closed her eyes and forgot. She forgot Karla Grayson, her identity. She forgot Raptor, the good superhero.

And then the assassin, the Talon, opened her eyes.

* * *

The Talons were world-class, elite assassins. Almost before anyone realized what happened, the Talon had stabbed the two Manta Troopers closest to her and was moving towards Kaldur, her sword held high.

The Talon didn't give a battle cry. She hardly looked angry. Her face was a stony mask as she advanced on Kaldur.

The Atlantean saw his Troopers fall to the ground and he reacted quickly. Had he been human rather than Atlantean, had he not seen her coming, the Talon would have killed him. But Kaldur had these two advantages.

He leapt backwards, pulling his water bearers out and summoning a simple column of water. He whipped them forward, and the water followed his command. The water surrounded the young assassin, submerging her completely. Unable to breathe, the Talon struggled for a few minutes and then fell limp.

Kaldur allowed her to fall to the ground, the water dissolving. He eyed her carefully, making sure she wouldn't get up and then turned to his Troopers.

"Help the wounded," he ordered the other Troopers, nodding towards his fallen comrades on the sand. He turned to back to the ocean, his mission completed.

* * *

Superboy opened a hatch in the BioShip, desperately hoping that he'd been mistaken in what he thought he'd seen from the sky. He landed on the sand a few yards away from Artemis and Nightwing and rushed forwards. Nightwing was kneeling next to Artemis, so Superboy rushed to Raptor's side.

The girl was lying prone on the beach. Superboy could hear her heartbeat – he tried to ignore the fact that he could only hear three heartbeats out of the four people on the beach and instead focused on the girl laying in front of him.

Superboy turned Raptor on her side, and seawater trickled out of her mouth. After a few moments, she choked and gasped, coughing up more water. She fell still once more, unconscious again. Her breathing shallow and raspy, but at least she _was_ breathing.

The clone stood up, picking Raptor up in his arms. Miss Martian flew up from the ocean, landing next to Superboy. Her expression was horrified, and Superboy was guessing that she'd gotten some capacity of the situation from the mental link. The two of them ran the last few steps together, coming to a halt in front of Nightwing. He had started CPR on Artemis, his lips moving silently as he began to count the pumps against her chest.

"I - I don't hear her heartbeat," Superboy stuttered.

"…twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty," Nightwing counted out loud. He bent down, breathing air into Artemis's mouth. After three breaths with no reaction, he stopped, staring down at her still body. He sat back on his heels, lowering his head in defeat. His voice was hardly audible when he spoke. "She's dead."

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **March 20, 03:58 EDT**

Conner stood in the corner of the living room area of the Cave. Members of the Team, past and present, filled the room. All of them were sobbing or mourning to some aspect, even the newbies who hadn't known Artemis well. But M'gann seemed particularly distraught.

He took a step forward, wanting to comfort her. As he hesitated, Garfield walked up to M'gann, wrapping his arms around his older sister. M'gann's chest shook as she tried to control her breathing, and Conner stepped back.

"We'll find La'gaan," Conner said as Mal and Karen walked up to him. His voice darkened, dropping in timbre. "And _Aqualad."_

"No doubt," Mal agreed. He wrapped an arm around Karen, pulling his girlfriend close to his chest. She leaned her head against him. Mal looked around, frowning. "Where's Nightwing?" he asked, his tone just slightly accusatory. It was, after all, Nightwing's decision to pull her out of retirement. "He should be here." Conner sighed, his heart dropping when he pictured what Nightwing was doing.

"He went to tell Wally," he murmured. Karen and Mal exchanged a look, and their shoulders slumped. It was heartbreaking to imagine what Wally was feeling at the moment. Conner took a deep breath and looked around the room again. There was another person missing.

"Where's Raptor?" he asked. The girl had come to completely on the way back from Cape Canaveral. She'd immediately jumped to her feet and run to the back of the BioShip where they'd covered Artemis's body. She'd knelt there for the rest of the trip back and hadn't spoken a word since.

"Not sure," Mal said, shrugging. "Who ever knows where that girl is?" Conner turned around to leave the room. Someone needed to find her.

Conner walked down to the training room. Raptor had clearly been there at one point, as one of the punching bags was on the ground and leaking sand. Some of the practice targets, put there originally for _Artemis_ – Conner's heart gave a painful twist – had been shattered by throwing knives. All of them were bull's eyes.

Conner turned and left the ruined training room. He headed up to the cliff side of the Cave. Sure enough, Karla was sitting on the grass a few feet away from the drop-off, her knees curled to her chest. She hadn't changed out of her uniform, but Conner could see her mask laying a few feet away from her, like she'd pulled it off and tossed it away carelessly.

"Karla?" he asked, taking a few steps towards her. She turned around to see who was speaking to her, her blue eyes piercing. She gave a dry chuckle.

"Sorry, Supes," she muttered bitterly, turning to face the front again. If it hadn't been for his super hearing, he probably wouldn't have been able to hear her. "Karla's not in the building right now."

"Who is?" Conner asked, standing a few feet behind her still. There was another cold laugh before she responded.

"I'm not going to kill you, if that's what you're asking."

"It wasn't," Conner said. "And I think you'd have a hard time trying, unless you have a Kryptonite knife."

"I'd find a way," the girl in front of him murmured. She didn't say it threateningly, and she didn't say it jokingly. She said it like it was a fact. Conner sighed. "I would," she whispered, a dark promise. "The only thing I have is experience on the field, the fight." Her voice darkened. "But I screwed up and Artemis is dead."

She thought back to the brawl on the sand last night. If she'd been more careful when she'd gone up against Kaldur, hadn't been so cocky, maybe Artemis would still be alive. She closed her eyes.

"Listen, kid," Conner said. "Believe it or not, I know how you feel. You may have been molded into a weapon, but I was manufactured as one." Conner waited for a response, and when he didn't get one, he tried again. "I'm trying to help," he told her. "I had a lot of people help me back then, but no one who really understood what it was like. I think I understand what it's like for you." The dark-haired girl dipped her head forward. Conner couldn't see her face, but her voice was low and sad when she spoke.

"It didn't take you long to break free of your _programming_ ," she reminded him, putting emphasis on the word programming. Conner hadn't been able to help his anger, his purpose. But she should be able to. "What, sixteen weeks for the preliminary stuff and then less than year for the rest of it?" She shook her head. "It's not the same."

"Maybe," Conner agreed. He put a hand on her shoulder. She didn't respond. "Just – I didn't used to have an identity either," Conner said. "But I found people. I have friends, I had – M'gann." Conner thought about his ex with a warm rush of affection, followed by the hollow emptiness of his heartbreak.

"I had someone," the girl reminded the clone grimly. "He's dead."

* _FLASHBACK*_

 _Karla was sitting on the floor of her room in Wayne Manor. After she'd beat up the kid who'd tried to help her, she'd promptly been expelled from Gotham Academy. Bruce had drily told her that she'd set a school record for the shortest amount of time attending a school. Then Bruce had gone back to work, but not before calling the family and offering to pay any medical bills. Other than Alfred, Karla was alone in the huge manor.  
_

 _So when someone knocked on her door, she knew it was the butler._

 _"Come in," Karla said, her voice hoarse. Alfred entered her room, carrying a tray. He placed it in front of her, and Karla looked down. It was full of_ _food - sandwiches, fruit, cookies and a glass of water and a steaming cup of tea on the side. Alfred knew that while Karla would eat anything, she preferred simple food. "Thank you," Karla said, just remembering to be polite. Alfred nodded in a genteel manner._

 _"Do you need anything else, Miss Karla?" She shook her head, still not looking Alfred in the eye._

 _"No, that's alright." Alfred nodded, and turned to leave the room._

 _"Call if you do," he told her, shutting the door to her room behind her. Once she was left alone, Karla began to eat slowly and methodically. By the time she was starting on the homemade cookies, she could hear the sound of a car pulling into the driveway._

 _Footsteps pounded up the stairs, and someone flung her door open without knocking. It was Jason. Karla stared at the older boy as he came to a halt in front of her._

 _"You got expelled," he accused her. Karla scowled, fixing her eyes on the wall to the left of Jason's face. She didn't like eye contact.  
_

 _"No shit." There were slower footsteps coming up the stairs now, and Dick peeked his head into the room, his blue eyes wary._

 _"Jason, give us a minute?" he requested. The other boy turned and left, and Dick slid into Karla's room. He sat on the floor in front of her, and Karla looked at the cookie in her hand._

 _"Look at me," Dick begged his sister. Karla didn't, and Dick sighed. "What happened?" Karla kept her eyes resolutely on the ground, and Dick tried again. "Karla. What happened?"_

 _"I don't know," she finally whispered, after another pause. "I just - forgot. I thought he was trying to take me back to the Court." Karla finally looked up, and her blue eyes were haunted and unfocused. "I was scared."_

 _"No one's coming for you," Dick reassured. "It's okay." Karla shook her head vehemently. The cookie in her hand had been reduced to crumbs as her hands tightened. "Karla. Take a deep breath."_

 _"They know everything," Karla gasped, ignoring him once more. Her eyes were wild. "They know - and they're going to - they're going to -" Dick leaned forward and placed his hands on his sister's shoulders._

 _"You're going to be fine," he told her. "I will not let them take you again, okay? Now take a deep breath." Karla inhaled, her chest shuddering hard as she fought to calm herself. The fourteen year old nodded rapidly._

" _Dick." Both Graysons turned around. Bruce was standing in the doorway of Karla's room. He must have just returned from work. "May I speak to you?" Dick nodded, getting to his feet. He glanced at his sister sadly, and then turned to leave._

 _As soon as the older men had left, Jason ducked back into Karla's room. She was sitting in the same position he'd left her in, her eyes staring vacantly at the wall. Jason ducked into her line of sight._

 _"Hello...?" He said in a singsong tone. When she didn't react, he shrugged, and snagged the last cookie off her plate. That got her attention. Her eyes followed his hand as he popped the cookie in his mouth and she frowned._

 _"Hey. That was mine." Jason shrugged, plopping down in front of her._

 _"You snooze you lose," he told her carelessly._

 _"What are they going to do with me?" she whispered, looking at him. Jason frowned. He had no idea what she was talking about - she'd already been expelled. "If I were anyone else, they'd send me to Arkham."_

 _"Oh," Jason said, realizing that she meant Dick and Bruce. He shook his head. "They're not going to do anything," Jason told her confidently. "You're an idiot if you think they will." Karla didn't respond, and Jason sighed. It was really a hit or miss to see if Karla was going to be fun to talk to._

 _She was either paranoid and quiet like this, or a raging asshole. There wasn't usually an in between. But Jason didn't mind. He held his hand out to her._

 _"Come on," he said. "I don't want to do my homework yet. Let's go down to the gym."_

 _*END FLASHBACK*_

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **March 20, 04:00 EDT**

Nightwing stood alone in a warehouse in his home city. He was leaning against a stack of wooden crates, the events of the night still weighing heavily on his mind. He stared down a picture on the holographic screen his glove projected.

The picture was one of him and Artemis. He had taken it five years ago, on Artemis's first day at Gotham Academy. She had no idea who Dick Grayson was; she'd barely even been a friend of Robin's at that point. And she'd certainly had no idea that they were the same person. Nightwing repeated the same thing he'd said to her on that day when he'd snapped the photo.

"We'll laugh about this someday," he murmured. There was a clatter deep in the warehouse, and Nightwing stood up straight, closing the picture. He stepped out. "Wally?" he called.

"No," a familiar voice responded. Kaldur stepped out in front of his old friend, still wearing his battle gear. Nightwing stepped forward.

A moment later, Wally rounded the corner, appearing from behind the crates. His shoulders were curved downwards. He came to a halt, and there were another set of footsteps, as a female figure came around the corner, following Wally.

Her face was concealed by a large, fluffy hood, which she pulled down. Once off, the face revealed was a very familiar one – olive skin, grey eyes, and blonde hair. It was Artemis.

Kaldur nodded approvingly, looking from the very-much alive Artemis to Wally to Nightwing.

"I take it our ruse was successful?" The Atlantean asked. Nightwing nodded.

"Almost too successful," he responded gravely. "The Team and the League are in mourning. They may never forgive us." Kaldur nodded, compartmentalizing the second part and continuing.

"And still only we four know the secret?" he checked, cautious as always. Nightwing nodded again.

"This secret and the other – that you've been under deep cover within Black Manta's organization since leaving the Team." Nightwing's eyes narrowed nervously. "How'd it go on that end?"

"Successful as well," Kaldur assured his friend. "I have proven my loyalty to my biological father. He is moving me up the ladder, bringing me closer to the Light. And their unknown partner." It was clear now how clinically Kaldur spoke – like an outsider.

"Not without cost, Kaldur," Nightwing said gravely. "The com-sat wasn't supposed to be destroyed and La'gaan definitely wasn't supposed to be captured." Kaldur nodded, his eyes sad. He'd had to make tough, spur-of-the-minute decisions often in the past year.

"It was the only way to save his life and maintain my cover," Kaldur said, just a tad defensive. Nightwing noticed his change in demeanor, and walked closer to the Atlantean, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not blaming you," Nightwing said apologetically. "I know you've been forced to make impossible decisions. Like choosing between saving the Kroloteans on Malina Island…"

"Or saving my friends," Kaldur agreed. "And I will find a way to help La'gaan. You have my word." He hesitated, and then added. "Raptor is alright, yes?" Nightwing nodded, grimacing. He'd been focused on _pretending_ to give Artemis CPR, but he still was aware of what his sister had done.

"What happened with Karla?" Wally said sharply, turning his head. This was the first he'd heard of it. Nightwing lowered his head.

"I – I made a bad call," he admitted. "She's fine, physically, at least. But she's a little…" he trailed off and shook his head. "It's my fault. I should have realized." Nightwing looked up at Kaldur. "The two Manta Troopers…are they…" Kaldur closed his eyes.

"One of them is stable," he told Nightwing. "The other…" Kaldur shook his head, and Nigthwing's shoulders slumped. Karla had killed one of them.

"You were right," Nightwing muttered to Artemis. He sighed. "I should have listened. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she told Nightwing. "Karla will be fine." She looked down at where she and Wally's hands were laced together, and he squeezed her hand tighter. "So what now?" She asked, changing the subject.

Instead of responding, Nightwing pulled a necklace out of his utility belt. It was a choker with a dangling orange teardrop pendant. He clipped it around Artemis's neck, and then stepped back. Wally raised an eyebrow at his best friend.

"Uh, dude? Why are you giving bling to my dead girlfriend?" Nightwing ignored Wally, used to both his sense of humor and his possessiveness.

"Glamour charm," he explained. He rubbed his neck, frowning. "Courtesy of Zatanna. Physiomorphic spell, I think. She said it backwards." Wally backed up so he could look at Artemis face-to-face.

"Wow," he said sarcastically. "You look – exactly the same."

"To the four of us," Nightwing explained. "And only us. But to anyone else, you're an entirely different person." Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"The more impressive trick is how you got something so specific from Zatanna without revealing who or what it was for." Nightwing smirked involuntarily, rubbing the back of his neck.

"We have a history," he said flippantly. Wally snorted, elbowing his best friend.

" _Dog_."

"It is time," Kaldur said, stepping up next to Artemis. She nodded, and then Wally stepped forward. She put her arms around his neck, and they hugged and kissed goodbye. Nightwing and Kaldur both looked politely away to give the two a semblance of privacy. Artemis pulled back, smiling.

"What could go wrong?" she asked him, laughing nervously.

"Don't say that," Wally replied, also chuckling. He reached out and brushed her face affectionately with his hand. Then Nightwing touched his shoulder, and he stepped back, watching as his girlfriend left with Kaldur.

Wally followed Nightwing up to the roof where the two of them watched their friends board the Manta Ship. They watched silently until the large submarine had fully submerged underwater and disappeared, and then Nightwing spoke.

"We're through the hard part," he said, more reassuring than confident. "They're in." Wally scoffed.

"Hard part?" he said incredulously. He shook his head, standing up and walking away from his friend. "Who are you kidding?" Wally turned around to face his best friend, his green eyes burning with anger and concern for his girlfriend. "It only gets more dangerous from here."

* * *

 **HAPPY HARBOR**

 **March 20, 05:39 EDT**

When Jaime left the Cave, he decided not to return to El Paso. He just couldn't yet. Jaime groaned aloud at the thought that he'd have to get up for school in a few hours, but he couldn't bring himself to go to sleep.

He stepped out onto the street, his shoulders slumped. He had hardly known Artemis, but she had still been a member of the Team, and her death was still devastating. Heaving a sigh, Jaime walked into the quiet town. Everyone was asleep.

Jaime was walking with no clear destination, but he found his feet carrying him to the beach. He didn't expect anyone to be there, but to his surprise, there was one lone figure on the stretch of sand already. He hesitated, trying to decide if he wanted to be completely alone or not. The person turned around.

"Jai – oh, hi," she said, her tone changing halfway through the greeting. Jaime frowned, confused. "Sorry, I thought you were someone I knew for a moment."

"Don't worry about it," Jaime replied. Deciding that company - even from a stranger - might be nice, he walked forward to take a seat on the sand next to her. She stiffened, and he tensed. "Sorry, I can leave – "

"No, don't worry about," she spit the words out quickly. They sounded forced, and Jaime continued to try to stand up. She grabbed his arm, surprisingly strong, and then tugged him back down. "Seriously," she said, imploringly. "I'm, uh. I'm bad with people. Don't take it personally." Jaime listened to the way she spoke, intrigued. She didn't speak like an American – she stressed odd syllables here and there. It was kind of endearing.

" _¿Estás segura?"_ He asked, nervously slipping back into Spanish. "Whoops. I mean – "

" _Sí_ ," she responded, to his surprise. " _Estoy segura._ I'm sure. _"_ Jaime blinked, surprised, and she grinned. "I study Spanish in school." Jaime smiled, and settled down next to her. The two teenagers lapsed into a comfortable silence as the waves crashed onto the shore. They sat together in silence as the tide rose, until it almost reached their shoes. Then Jaime stood up, stretching his tight muscles.

He offered his hand to the girl, not really expecting her to take it. To his surprise, she did, and he pulled her to her feet. Standing face to face, Jaime was a few inches taller than her, but (in his opinion) less impressive.

She was shockingly pretty. She had pale skin and high cheekbones, and dark hair braided loosely behind her. Perhaps her most striking feature was her bright blue eyes. Jaime smiled shyly, dropping her hand and rubbing the back of his neck.

The Scarab's voice rang in his head, making Jaime wince and turn his head.

" _Jaime Reyes,"_ it told him. " _This girl triggers bio-chemical changes to your system. Do_ not _trust her."_ As usual, Jaime ignored the Scarab. He glanced back at the girl, who was watching him in amusement, like there was a joke he wasn't getting.

"Um," Jaime said, looking at the sky that was slowly lightening. "Do you want to grab a coffee or something? If you've been up all night, you might need it. I know I do." The girl hesitated, her eyebrows creeping together. She seemed to be mulling it over.

"Okay," she agreed after a moment, a slow smile spreading over her face. "That sounds nice." Jaime grinned.

" _Genial_ ," he commented. "Oh, my name's Jaime, by the way." Strangely enough, the girl hesitated again. She paused, like she was thinking about something, and then nodded. She stuck out her hand.

"Karla Grayson," she replied. "It's nice to meet you."

* * *

 **uh oh karls. what u doing girlie.**

 **anyways. please leave a** **review! i'd love to hear your feedback whether you like it, hate it, love it, or 'meh' it.**

 **hehe.**

 **thanks!**


	7. SatisfactionDarkest

**To KingPenguinJG: thank you so much once again!**

 **Sorry for the wait everyone! Things got crazy, and after I wrote out Satisfaction I realized how short it was (like, less than 2000 words), so I wanted to combine it with Darkest so it would be an acceptable length. It just took forever.**

 **Disclaimer: Karla is mine, everything else...not so much.**

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **March 21, 17:33 EDT**

Sara stood in the grotto with four other teenagers. The rest of the girls on the Team were getting ready for Raquel's bridal shower, but Sara was already dressed and ready. Besides, she wanted to pay her respects to Artemis. She'd been at the girl's funeral earlier, but it had been so crowded - so many people loved Artemis - that she wanted to say goodbye to the young woman privately.

Artemis's holographic statue was only the latest memorial in the small grotto dedicated to the fallen heroes of the Team and the League. Three other holographic statues displaying heroes were also present.

One of them was Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle after Dan Garrett, and the creator of Jaime's Scarab. Sara had met him once or twice before, and although she could hardly say she knew him well, she remembered a kind man. Dinah had always spoken highly of him as well.

There was also a statue of Tula, aka Aquagirl. This hero Sara had never met, and she had barely heard of her. When the Team and League spoke of her, it was always in hushed, sorrowful tones. Because of this, Sara knew next to nothing about Tula's life or death. Sara did, however, have a sneaking suspicion that the reason for this was because it had something to do with Kaldur'ahm's betrayal.

The last statue was Jason Todd, the second Robin. Sara glanced at the boy's face. He was scowling slightly in the hologram, his jaw set with a firm intention. The only reason Sara knew anything about him was because she was so close to Karla. No one spoke about Jason Todd, ever. Sara could tell that Jason's death had played a part in Karla and Tim's relationship, or more precisely, lack of a relationship.

Still studying Jason Todd's face, Sara wondered faintly why Karla loved him so much, what part he had played in her life.

A loud crunch pulled Sara out of her reverie, and she blinked, looking around for the source of the noise. Bart was eating a bag of freeze-dried Chicken Whizees, chewing loudly as he popped the junk food in his mouth. Sara raised an eyebrow at the speedster incredulously, and he paused. Everyone else in the room was looking at Bart in mild irritation. Bart smiled sheepishly back.

"Uh, sorry," he shrugged his shoulders defensively. "Mourning makes me hungry." Sara sighed, shaking her head. Jaime glanced down at the bag Bart was holding and then scowled. He grabbed Bart by the shirt and dragged him backwards, away from the other three teenagers.

Sara checked her watch and then sighed. She had to leave soon. Turning to go, she caught the end of Bart and Jaime's conversation and slowed down, intrigued.

"…these people are heroes," Bart was saying, spreading his arms to encapsulate the four statues. "In the line of duty and all that. They should have – giant statues!"

"Yeah," Sara agreed, stopping by the two boys. She motioned around the grotto. The small cave was beautiful, no doubt - the walls were natural rock, and there was a stream trickling through the center, but it wasn't very public. It didn't seem like they were honoring their heroes as they should be. "Why aren't these displayed in the Hall of Justice or something?" Jaime sighed. He looked sad as he looked around the grotto.

"Yeah," he replied. "I asked that too." He looked almost baleful as he stared at the statue of his predecessor. "Captain Atom said the League didn't want or need a public shrine to its fallen.

"But I don't know," Jaime continued, studying Ted Kord. "Seems to me they just don't want to advertise that we're not immortal." He turned back to the other two teenagers. "The handful of regular people who've seen me in action? They think I'm this guy in a new costume." He jutted his finger over his shoulder, pointing at the statue. He looked back up at the man who should have been his mentor, his eyes sad. "The world will never know about Ted Kord's sacrifice." Sara shoved her heads in her pockets, lowering her head solemnly. Bart walked up to the other boy and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"But _you_ know," Bart reminded him, smiling. "And you're carrying on the grand Blue Beetle heroic tradition, right?" Jaime scowled.

"I wish," he said, turning to look at the other teens in the grotto. "It's such a total rip! Superboy has Superman, Wonder Girl has Wonder Woman, Robin and Raptor have Batman, Nightwing, _and_ Batgirl." Jaime pointed at Sara as he turned back to Bart. "Sara has her sister, and you've been in this era, what, five minutes? And already you have three Flash mentors, one who feeds you junk food." Bart glanced down at the bag in his hand, looking a little sheepish. He hid it behind his back.

"But me?" Jaime continued, looking back at Ted Kord's statue once more. "I never even got the chance to meet the guy that should have been my mentor." Sara's heart twisted for Jaime. Maybe having a mentor wasn't the most _important_ thing in the world – plenty of superheroes had taught themselves – but it was always nice knowing that Dinah was out there watching Sara's back and looking out for her.

Sara couldn't imagine what it would be like without her sister next to her on the streets.

"I hear that," Bart consoled, walking to Jaime's side. "We have more in common than you think!" The speedster insisted. "Our love of Chicken Whizees for example." Bart wrapped his arm around Jaime and began to lead him out of the grotto. "Let me buy you some to replace the bag I salvaged," he offered. "We'll hang! It'll be totally crash."

Sara smiled slightly as the two boy walked away together. She turned back around. Garfield was still standing in front of Artemis's statue, but Robin was now standing in front of the second Robin's. His shoulders were slumped.

"Sara!" a familiar voice called. The blonde girl turned around. Raptor was standing at the top of the steps leading down to the grotto. Her arms were crossed tightly across her chest, and her eyes were focused on Sara's face in an almost stubborn manner. "It's time to go."

"Coming," Sara replied. She expected the other girl to wait for her, but instead Raptor gave a stiff nod and bounded back up the steps as quickly as possible. Bewildered, Sara glanced back at Robin, not really expecting him to explain.

The teenage boy was scowling at the place where Raptor had been standing. When he saw Sara's gaze fall on him, his expression dropped and he looked mildly abashed. Sara could guess why.

Ninety percent of the time, Robin was mild-mannered and kind. But when it came to Raptor, all bets were off. But Sara often got the feeling that Robin didn't want to hate Raptor and he didn't like hating her. It was merely a defense mechanism.

"She hates it down here," Robin said simply, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Especially if I'm here." Sara glanced back at the statue of Jason Todd, realization dawning on her.

"She thinks he deserves more," Sara realized aloud. Robin nodded.

"For the record," he said, turning back to look at Jason Todd once more. "So do I."

* * *

 **DAKOTA CITY**

 **March 21, 18:17 CDT**

Raptor was at the restaurant that Raquel was holding her bridal shower at. She was sitting between Sara and Cassie, and she couldn't help feeling a little awkward. Raptor knew Raquel well enough, but she was suspecting that she'd been invited more of out of courtesy than true affection.

"M'gann and Zatanna are here!" Karen cried suddenly, announcing the arrival of their friends. Then she grinned again, and added, "And here come Paityn and Akari!" Raquel looked up, a broad grin stretched across her face as the women rushed to the bride-to-be's side.

"Hi, guys!" Raquel chirped as she hugged each girl in turn. "I'm so glad you could make it!" Paityn laughed, placing a gift bag in front of Raquel.

"Happy bridal shower!" Paityn sang, grinning mischievously. Akari leaned down to give Raquel a squeeze from behind. The Japanese girl shook her head, amazed at the passage of time.

"I can't believe it!" Akari exclaimed. "One minute we're fifteen and the next you're _engaged_!" Raquel laughed, shaking her head in delight. M'gann leaned over and pecked Raquel on the cheek, placing a gift in front of the other woman.

"Congratulations!" M'gann said. Raquel grinned, shaking her head fondly as she looked at the gift bag in front of her.

"M'gann! Oh, you shouldn't have," Raquel protested as she fiddled with the tissue paper. M'gann took a seat at the table across from Zatanna, and Paityn and Akari followed the Martian to sit down. M'gann's eyes were suddenly downcast as she spoke.

"Actually," she corrected. "It's…it's from Artemis too. We bought it together." M'gann's voice dropped, and a sorrowful quiet fell over the table. Raptor looked at the ground, her hands curling into balls. She closed her eyes, missing the way Raquel's face fell. Raquel's hands fell from the present to her sides, and she shook her head.

"What am I _doing_?" Raquel asked, sounding tortured. "Having this shower?" Her voice rose and fell in pitch as she struggled to contain her emotions. "How – how can we celebrate so soon after – " Before Raquel could continue beating herself up, M'gann jumped in.

"Because Artemis would want us to celebrate!" M'gann insisted passionately. Her eyes were suddenly shining with certainty. Zatanna nodded, backing up the Martian girl.

"She'd kick our asses if we didn't!" the magician agreed. Raquel was quiet for another moment, and then she picked up her glass, raising it in a toast.

"To absent friends," she said. All the other women followed suit, picking up their glasses and raising them in imitation of the other woman.

"To absent friends," they repeated, the somber mood falling away into one of nostalgia and love. Akari grinned, and raised her cup a little higher in another toast, waggling her eyebrows at Raquel playfully.

"And to the bride!"

"To the bride!" Everyone repeated, shooting to their feet to congratulate their friend. Raquel grinned, her eyes shining with excitement.

"You're getting married, girl!" Karen cried, leaning over to poke her friend in the side playfully. Raquel laughed giddily, shaking her head in amazement.

"I _know_!" Raptor couldn't help but to smile at the older woman's happiness.

The table of superheroes broke into conversation, chatting about Raquel's engagement and wedding themes. Once they'd exhausted that topic - by the time the second course came out - they drifted on to other topics.

They tactfully skirted around sensitive topics, like the relationships of other people – they didn't want to remind M'gann of her missing boyfriend – and work in general.

Unfortunately, their line of work had a knack for following them wherever they went.

The bridal shower party was in the middle of dessert when the frantic yells alerted them that something was wrong. Raptor turned around, and her eyes widened as she saw a wall of ice approaching them, seemingly from out of nowhere. Pretty soon the party was incased in a chilly dome of the ice.

Raquel scowled, looking around indignantly. She stood up, pushing her chair back decisively, and looked around at her friends, a smirk playing across her face.

"I'd like to teach whoever decided to ruin my shower a lesson," Raquel threatened playfully. She turned towards Zatanna. "What do you think, Z? How about a spell?" Zatanna smirked devilishly back, also getting to her feet. The other women got up as well.

"With pleasure," Zatanna replied. She raised her arms towards the air and chanted, " _Brag su rof elttab!"_ There was a flash of light and greenish-blue energy so powerful that it cracked the dome of ice open. When the light cleared, the heroes were standing in a line, dressed in their costumes as apposed to the civvies they had been wearing before.

Captain Cold turned to face them, a scowl on his face as he prepared to snark at whoever was attempting to stop him. Upon seeing the assembly of superheroes, his mouth fell completely open in shock. The ice pick he was holding in his hand clattered to the ground beside him, and he shook his head in denial.

"I'm completely doomed, aren't I?" he asked rhetorically. Raptor cracked her knuckles and smirked.

"One hundred percent," she drawled.

And with that, they all charged forward.

* * *

Predictably, Captain Cold was a piece of cake to take care of. Cleaning up the mess on the street, however, was another story. The entire block was covered in ice.

Wonder Girl, Kitsune, Black Canary, Miss Martian, and Zatanna all used their powers to clean up the ice, breaking it apart and consolidating it to be melted and drained away later. The rest of the girls helped out with civilians, making sure everyone was alright and being treated accordingly, and giving statements to the police officers who asked questions.

Eventually, they managed to clean up the entire mess. Once they had finished, the idea of returning to their meal was a bit ridiculous. Instead, they all said their good-byes and congratulated Raquel one more time, and then went their separate ways.

Instead of going back to A.R.G.U.S. Headquarters with Akari, Paityn caught up to Zatanna as the magician was walking towards a Zeta Tube. Zatanna turned towards Paityn, blinking in confusion. She grinned at her old friend.

"Hi, Pai!" Zatanna said. "We haven't had a chance to catch up, have we?" Paityn smiled ruefully.

"I wish I could say that's why I came to talk, Z," Paityn replied, sighing heavily. "Unfortunately, this is work related. I need your help." Zatanna frowned, noticing the bags under Paityn's eyes and how stressed she looked. Zatanna wrapped an arm around Paityn's shoulders.

"Well," she said teasingly as she steered Paityn over to a bench. "I'll have you know I charge heavily for my services." Paityn laughed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "What do you need my help for?" Paityn sighed again, her shoulders slumping wearily.

"Have you ever heard of the Lazarus Pit?" Paityn asked her friend. Zatanna nodded slowly, a little confused by the question.

"The League of Shadows," Zatanna responded. "Ra's al Ghul's source of power. I'm familiar." Paityn nodded, exhaling slowly.

"Yeah," she said. "It provides immortality. But sometimes…" Paityn trailed off, her eyes glassy and far away. "Sometimes it can be used for resurrections." Zatanna stilled and she shook her head slowly. "It changes a person," Paityn continued. "They lose their soul." Paityn turned towards Zatanna. "Do you think – I've heard there's a spell that can reverse the effects, at least to an extent. Can you – can you perform it?"

"I think so," Zatanna said after a long pause. "I'll need to do some research myself first, maybe even meet with Doctor Fate." Her voice tightened ever so slightly at the mention of the Lord of Order who'd stolen her father's life. "But I'll let you know." Paityn exhaled slowly.

"Thank you," she said, her voice practically a whisper. She brushed a hand over her eyes, and then stood up, her brisk, business-like demeanor returning once more.

"I'll need a few days," Zatanna said, also standing. Paityn waved a hand dismissively.

"There's no rush," she said. Her eyes tightened slightly, and her voice became slightly strained when she spoke again. "I still need to tell the boy's family."

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **March 21, 21:34 EDT**

Karla was draped across her bed, listening to music. She had no idea where her brother was, but he'd warned her not to go out on patrol until he got back. Normally, Karla would have complained, but considering what had happened a few nights ago, she was just relieved that Dick hadn't benched her completely.

Suddenly the music faded out as Karla's text tone sounded in her ear buds. Frowning, Karla pushed herself up and looked down at her phone screen. Jaime was texting her.

A flicker of a grin crossed Karla's face and she turned her music off and looked down at her text. It wasn't anything special, just a simple – _'Hey. What's up?' –_ but it made Karla inexplicably happy as well as anxious.

It was a similar feeling to the first time she'd talked to Sara. She'd been on edge, nervous, and worried about pissing the other girl off, but she'd also been weirdly excited. To be honest, Karla was a little confused. She'd never paid Jaime much attention before; she'd had no opinions on him, whether good or bad.

Sure, she'd snapped at him here and there on a mission, but that was mostly because he was a rookie, and his inexperience made her impatient. It wasn't personal. So truthfully, Karla had no idea why she was bothering to try to befriend Jaime as Karla as opposed to Raptor.

At first, on the beach, it was because Karla had been sick and tired of being an asshole to everyone she talked to. And she'd genuinely forgot at first that she hadn't been wearing her sunglasses, and she'd almost greeted Jaime like she knew him.

And then he'd sat down beside her and she'd freaked out momentarily. She'd felt bad when she'd realized she'd been rude again, and had probably offended him. The only reason she'd asked him to stay was out of guilt, pure and simple. And then Jaime had…asked her out?

He hadn't really made it clear whether or not it was a date, but either way, Karla had enjoyed herself, and told him her name. And now she was in a bind.

She didn't want to stop talking to Jaime. She really didn't. She also really didn't want to lie to him as Karla and not tell him that she was also Raptor. But she couldn't tell him that she was Raptor. And that was the problem.

Bottom line, Karla knew what she was doing was wrong. It was leading him on in a way, and she knew it wasn't fair. Especially because it seemed that Jaime was interested in being more than friends with Karla.

But realistically, Karla doubted her and Jaime's friendship would last long, and was extremely skeptical that it would evolve into a relationship. And they both seemed to be having fun, so what was the harm?

So Karla opened Jaime's text and responded, all the while convincing herself that everything would be fine.

* * *

 **EL PASO**

 **March 23, 16:52 MDT**

Jaime was studying in his room when his phone buzzed. Sighing, he ran his hands through hair and leaned over to check it. A smile curved over his face when he saw who the caller was, and he picked up his phone to answer the call.

"Hey, Karla," he said, greeting the girl. He'd asked for her number when he'd met her three days ago, and when she'd told him she'd lived in Blüdhaven, he'd come up with a fairly conceivable lie that he had family there, so that he'd be there a lot. It was probably pathetic to go to such lengths to pursue a relationship that hadn't even started, but Jaime didn't care.

He'd told her that he'd had family in Blüdhhaven instead of telling her that he was the superhero Blue Beetle and could Zeta halfway across the country – hell, halfway across the _world_ – in less than a minute. Somehow he'd figured that would put a damper on the conversation. So a lie it was.

" _Hey,"_ the girl replied over the phone. _"Um. This is kind of weird, but would you believe me if I said I was in El Paso?"_ Jaime froze, his eyes widening in shock.

"You're – what? What are you doing here?"

" _I'm just tagging along. A close family friend had to take care of something here, so I asked if I could come along to see you."_ Karla sounded shy over the phone. _"Is that super creepy?"_ Jaime laughed.

"Don't worry about it," he replied. "I'm happy…I _will_ be happy to see you again. Where are you, exactly?"

" _Um…a Starbucks. One sec."_ There was a pause and then Karla spoke again. " _Woodrow Bean Drive?"_ Jaime nodded to himself. That Starbucks wasn't too far from his house.

"Okay," he told her. "I'll be there in like ten minutes; it's only a few blocks from my house. We can go back to my house, if you want." Jaime was careful not to make his offer sound to suggestive. He didn't want to freak her out.

 _"Don't worry about coming to get me if we're just going back to your house,"_ Karla replied, clearly not freaked out. " _Just text me your address."_ Jaime hesitated. It wasn't that El Paso was dangerous, because it wasn't. It was just that the idea of Karla walking around by herself in unfamiliar city made him nervous. Apparently she picked up on his hesitation, because she huffed and indignant laugh over the phone. " _Jaime. I can handle three blocks, okay? Just text me your address."_ Jaime laughed.

"Okay, fine," he said. "I'll see you soon."

* * *

Karla and Jaime were hanging out in his living room. They'd ordered pizza, and then put on a movie to watch. Karla had suggested that they watch _Avengers: Age of Ultron_ , enjoying the sardonic look on Jaime's face – he was a superhero watching a movie about superheroes. Then she'd felt a momentary stab of guilt realizing that she was not only leading him on, but practically mocking him about it too. She hadn't meant to.

But now, halfway through the movie, those thoughts were forgotten. By this point, neither teenager was paying attention to the movie.

Karla wasn't sure exactly how it had happened, but about fifteen minutes ago she'd kissed Jaime...and things had progressed. Now, Jaime was kissing her neck, and Karla was realizing that she'd underestimated were her and Jaime's relationship was headed.

Ignoring those thoughts, she wound a hand through Jaime's dark hair, pulling him back up towards her face. She really didn't want him to leave a hickey, but also she kind of just wanted to kiss him again. Pressing her lips to his soundly, Karla closed her eyes. Jaime hummed against her mouth, making a pleased sound, and Karla smiled slightly.

She'd had several (brief) relationships before. Most of the people she'd dated, especially the boys, had been more interested in a quick hook up than actually dealing with Karla's baggage. Karla didn't want to stereotype, but in her experience teenage girls were better at dealing with her "winning personality" than boys, and even those relationships hadn't lasted long. Most of her past flames hadn't even bothered with the pretense of a movie.

Most of those problems, though, Karla knew were her fault. Jaime was the only one she'd actually tried to connect with, and the others were only attracted to her for her looks. And the difference showed. Jaime was more polite and less forward, and unlike most of Karla's other hookups, he seemed content to stay at second base.

"You okay?" Jaime asked, his voice rough and a little raspy, which okay - that should not have been as attractive as it was. He ran his finger over her hair thoughtfully, and pulled back slightly. Karla followed him, sitting up so that she was sitting between his legs.

Jaime reached towards, pulling her forwards a little so that her calves were resting on his thighs. Karla smirked back at the boy, leaning backward and rolling her head around in a relaxing, lazy movement. Jaime watched her, noticing that parts of her collarbone were just a little pink, marks that would probably turn into hickeys later.

"I'm great," she replied, and to her surprise, she meant it. The only other time she'd felt like this outside the mask was when she was with Sara or Jason or her brother. She felt like a person, not like an imposter, an actor. Jaime grinned. He brushed his hand across her face.

" _Genial_ ," he murmured in Spanish. He brushed the loose hairs that had escaped her braid from her face. " _Eres tan guapa."_ Karla smiled shyly at his words, her cheeks turning slightly pink. She leaned forward and kissing him again, quickly. Or, she meant it to be quick, in any case. Both of them ended up getting a little distracted.

The loud ringing of a phone made Jaime pull back, and Karla frowned, groaning in irritation. She reached behind her, pulling out her phone and answering it. She listened to the person on the other end for a few moments, occasionally nodding her head and saying, "okay," and then hung up. She looked at Jaime apologetically.

"Meeting's over," she told him. "I have to go." She stood up, smoothing her clothes, and running a hand across her hair. She looked _mostly_ put together, although her shirt was a little rumpled and her cheeks were flushed. She grinned sheepishly. "I'm gonna go clean up," she said.

"Sure," Jaime replied. He pointed down the hall. "Bathroom's right there." Karla flashed him a quick smile before leaving. No sooner than the minute she'd disappeared down the hall had the doorbell rung.

Jaime got up, running a hand through his hair and throwing a nervous glance in the mirror as he walked towards the front door. He was slightly worried that it was Karla's friend coming to pick her up, and that they would immediately be able to tell what the two had just been doing by looking at him.

So when he opened the door and saw Impulse standing there, completely decked out in his superhero costume, Jaime's mouth fell open.

"Dude!" he whisper-yelled, glancing around to make sure no one was looking. "What are you _doing?"_ Impulse grinned, throwing his arms wide.

"Here to hang!" he explained, way too enthusiastically. "Spend a little downtime with my buddy blue, B.B., the Beetle, the Bee-tull. You know, chillanging!" Jaime scowled, leaning forward.

"And put my secret I.D. at risk?" he hissed, looking around nervously. He glanced back into his house. Karla hadn't returned yet, but he didn't want her finding out about this part of his life yet. "My girl is – my _friend_ is here."

" _The Impulse is trouble,"_ the Scarab warned Jaime. " _Destroy him."_ Jaime shook his head hard, ignoring what the Scarab said.

"Overreacting won't help!" Jaime told the Scarab.

"Totally," Impulse agreed, clearly thinking Jaime was talking to him. "Don't beat yourself up. I'll never get used to this so-retro obsession with secret identities," he continued. "I mean, what's the point in hiding how crash we are?"

"If you don't know," Jaime said with a sigh. "I can't explain it." He looked around nervously again. "Look, just get out of here for now, okay? I'll meet you around the corner once she leaves."

"Gotcha!" Impulse said, speeding off without another word. Jaime wasted no time in slamming the door shut and leaning against it. Once it was closed, he closed his eyes and let out a sigh that was part-relief and part-irritation.

"Everything okay?" Karla asked. Jaime's eyes shot open and he stepped forward. She was standing in the hallway, looking at Jaime with concern.

" _Sí_!" he almost shouted. He lowered his voice. "Everything is fine. _Perfecto_." Karla laughed, walking across the room. She wrapped one arm around his waist, and the other around his neck so that he was looking down at her. She kissed his neck playfully.

"Okay, I believe you," she teased him, pulling back. "My friend is picking me up at the Starbucks," she continued. "I need to go."

"Of course," Jaime said. He hesitated, feeling awkward. "Um, I'd offer to walk you, but there's kind of something I need to – "

"Don't worry about it," Karla insisted, cutting Jaime off. She grinned impishly, pulling back. "I'll just get distracted if you're there. Just let me know next time you're visiting your uncle, okay?" Jaime kissed Karla, squeezing her waist gently.

"You got it," he murmured. He took her hand and walked her over to the door, stepping out onto the porch and watching her descend the steps.

Jaime watched Karla leave until he couldn't see her anymore. Once he was sure that she wouldn't see him, he let the armor grow over his body and took off. He flew around to where he'd said he'd meet Impulse. To his surprise, the usually happy-go-lucky Impulse was frowning, looking down the street where Karla had walked away.

"What's up, _hermano?_ " Blue Beetle asked, landing next to the younger teen.

"What was your friend's name, again?" Impulse asked, sounding a little too casual.

"Karla," Blue Beetle replied, a little confused. "Why?" Impulse frowned again, his expression darkening slightly.

"No reason," he muttered. He shook his head, his expression clearly suddenly. "Never mind! Let's go!" Impulse threw his arms in the air, spreading them wide to encapsulate his excitement. "Let the chillanging begin!"

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **March 23, 20:45 EDT**

 _"Recognized: Raptor: B-One-Five."_ Raptor stepped out of the Zeta Machine, dressed in her uniform. She'd stopped quickly at home so she could collect it, and taken a little extra time to cover the faint marks on her throat that Jaime had left.

Nightwing was standing in the briefing room, looking at something on the monitors. As Raptor watched, he flicked his wrist, and it disappeared from view. He turned around to face his sister.

"Where were you?" he asked. He didn't sound angry or concerned; merely curious.

"At a friend's," Raptor responded. She swept her braid over her shoulder and walked towards the center of the room. "What did you need me for?" Nightwing turned to look at his sister, frowning. He ignored her second question.

"A friend's?" he repeated. "Sara's been here all night." Raptor shrugged.

"Maybe I have more than one friend," she replied coolly. She crossed her arms, and to ensure that he couldn't ask her anymore questions she spoke again. "What did you need me for?" She asked again. Nightwing sighed. It was clear Raptor wasn't going to give him anything more than what she'd already given him.

"I'm just combing through everything," he said, turning back to the keyboard. "We need to find La'gaan." Raptor grimaced.

"Hate that I'm about to say this, but yeah, we need to find La'gaan." She sighed, and walked over to her own monitor. "Okay. I'll help." The two siblings hadn't been working fifteen minutes when the Zeta Tube powered up again.

" _Recognized: Blue Beetle: B-Two-Three; Impulse: B-Two-Five."_ Raptor turned around. Blue was flying into the Cave, and Impulse had already zoomed in. He laughed, holding an odd-looking object up jubilantly.

"Haha!" he crowed, whooping victoriously. "Left them in the dust!" Nightwing walked forward, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the piece of tech Impulse held in his hand. Raptor followed her brother forward.

"Left _who_ in the dust?" Nightwing demanded. He gestured to the device that Impulse was clutching. "And what is that?"

"Souvenir," Impulse replied, smiling jubilantly as he gestured to the thing in his hand. Blue Beetle turned towards the younger boy.

"Souvenirs are Beast Boy's thing, isn't it?" Impulse frowned, lowering the piece of tech. He shrugged.

"Oh, really? I thought it was Kid Flash – "

"Can we get to the point?" Raptor snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. She scowled at the two boys menacingly, trying not to think about the fact that less than an hour ago, she and Jaime had been together, curled up on his couch. And now she was yelling at him.

"Sorry," Blue Beetle said. "Aqualad attacked us with Icicle Junior., the Terror Twins, and a ninja girl I didn't recognize." Impulse wagged the device in the air in front of the two siblings.

"This is how they tracked Blue," he explained. He smirked in a self-satisfied manner. "I made sure they couldn't do it again." Nightwing scowled, shaking his head at the speedster. Clearly Impulse hadn't thought about the potential repercussions of his actions.

"So you brought foreign, possibly alien tech in the Cave?" he asked rhetorically, his voice stiff. Impulse's expression dropped, and his shoulders slumped when he realized his mistake.

"What do you expect from a rookie?" Raptor muttered under her breath. Nightwing shot his sister a look. It was his job to be angry with Impulse and Blue, because he was their leader and he needed to teach them. It was not Raptor's job.

"All right," he said to Impulse, holding out his hand. "Give it here." Raptor followed her brother as he took it back to the center of the room to analyze it. He plugged it into the monitor, and lines of code appeared on the screen.

Most code Raptor could analyze and understand without even blinking, but this stuff just looked like nonsensical symbols - likely a language that wasn't of Earth. Nightwing didn't seem to understand it either, but he frowned resolutely and began to type anyways.

* * *

Sara was in the training room of the Cave. Dinah had a date with Ollie that night, and neither she nor their parents wanted Sara patrolling the streets alone. But the only thing that kept Sara's mind of Nate, who was still missing, and the original Roy, who they still hadn't let her see, was training.

Sara was so busy punching the bag in front of her, focusing on her movements, making them as quick, precise and powerful as possible that she almost didn't hear someone opening the door to the training room.

But the sound of the door clicking shut did manage to make it into Sara's consciousness, and she blinked sweat out of her eyes, turning around to see whom it was.

As she turned, a fist flew towards her face and Sara was flung back, her head slapping against the hard sand of the punching bag. Sara groaned, and spots flashed across her vision before everything went completely dark.

* * *

Raptor stood by her brother as he finally managed to pull the semantics of the alien device onto the screen. The picture displayed the device's inner workings, but everything was labeled in the same strange symbols that the code had been in.

An alarm started to beep, and Nightwing's eyes widened as he seemed to realize something. This device wasn't just a tracking device – it was a device that could _be_ tracked.

"Ugh," he groaned aloud. "I'm an idiot!" He spun around, pulling out his escrima sticks so that he would be ready to fight. But he was too late.

Before Nightwing could react, Superboy was being flung towards him. The clone was unconscious, and the blunt force of his dead weight hitting Nightwing made the human fly back as well.

Raptor dove out of the way, narrowly avoiding being hit by the Kryptonian, too. She looked around the room. The Terror Twins were there - Tommy had been the one to throw the clone, and Tuppence had just placed an unconscious Beast Boy on the ground. Icicle Junior was on the second level of the Cave, shooting ice down at the heroes.

Whirling around to face the female Terror Twin, Raptor whipped out her two daggers. Scowling, she advanced on Tuppence Terror, her teeth clenched. The older woman smirked, her icy blue eyes narrowed as she cracked her knuckles.

Raptor leapt at the blonde girl, holding her knives aloft. Before Raptor could stab her, Tuppence grabbed her arms and wrapped her hands around Raptor's wrists before squeezing hard. The woman's grip was strong enough to bruise, and Raptor cried out as Tuppence bent her wrists backwards. Raptor's hands were forced open, and her knives clattered to the ground.

Grunting, Raptor struggled to wrench her wrists free of Tuppence's grasp, her teeth grit in effort. Before she could try anything else, she felt something click around her throat. Without looking down, Raptor knew it was an inhibitor collar. Raptor smirked.

"You really think this'll make a difference?" she hissed, lips curling into a sneer. Tuppence chuckled.

"You're mighty cocky for someone who's losing," she replied in her southern drawl. "And to answer your question, no, I don't." She nodded at the person behind Raptor, presumably the same person who'd put the collar on her. "But this will."

Raptor scowled. Before she could question as to what she meant, a jolt of powerful electricity went through her body. Raptor cried out, and her knees slackened. Tuppence let go of her wrists, and Raptor slumped to the ground.

As Raptor rolled onto her back, her muscles spasming from the shocks, she saw Sara's limp body a few feet away. The blonde was also wearing an inhibitor collar, as was Impulse. Nightwing was bent forward on his knees, the electricity jolting through his body.

Blue Beetle was the only hero still up, and he seemed to be having a conversation with Aqualad, who had just showed up. Raptor's head was too foggy to hear what either of them were saying, but she could see Aqualad's lips moving and she was assuming he wasn't talking to himself.

As Raptor watched, Aqualad set down a duffle bag. He pulled the bag away, revealing another alien-looking device. He spoke again, and then stopped, raising his eyebrows in an appraising manner. As Raptor watched, Blue Beetle descended from the air and raised his arms above is head in unmistakable surrender.

Raptor rolled over, her muscles protesting as she did so, and she managed to push herself onto her knees. She shook her head, once, twice, and her hearing slowly came back, rolling over her like a wave.

"…escort Beetle, Impulse, Beast Boy and White Canary to the Flyer," Aqualad ordered. Raptor's heart dropped. _No._

"What about these three?" an unfamiliar voice said. Raptor managed to turn her head to see a dark haired woman wearing a black and orange suit and mask. Around her throat was a choker with an odd yellow stone. This must be the 'ninja-lady' Blue Beetle had mentioned.

"As hostages here, they have value," Aqualad explained. "But Nightwing and Raptor are ordinary humans, and Superboy is a human-krypotnian hybrid clone. Neither category is of any interest to our partner." The woman frowned, her eyes falling on White Canary.

"Then why her?"

"She is ordinary human, yes," Aqualad said, looking at Canary disinterestedly. "But she is the daughter of the first Black Canary and the sister of the second. Both her mother and sister have the ability to produce sonic sound waves by screaming, and yet she does not. Perhaps there is a reason why."

"No," Raptor hissed. With a pained grunt, she shoved herself up so that she was kneeling with one knee bent and the other on the ground. Her vision swam as she did so, threatening to black out.

"Aqualad!" Nightwing managed to get to his feet a few yards away from his sister. "You'll regret this!" Aqualad strode forward, observing his old friend coldly. He delivered a swift punch to Nightwing's stomach, and the human cried out, falling back to his knees. Aqualad turned away callously, and as he passed Raptor, who was still struggling to get back on her feet, he kicked her in the back. Raptor groaned, falling flat once more.

"I believe I have outgrown the name 'Aqualad,'" he murmured. "As well as anything resembling regret." The Atlantean paused before leaving the room, coming to a halt by the alien object he'd placed there. "I will leave the bomb with you. As a souvenir." Raptor's eyes widened. _Bomb?_ "Oh," Aqualad added, holding up the hand that he had the switch in, "And the dead man switch has a five-mile range. Do _not_ pursue."

And with that, Aqualad left the Cave, leaving an unconscious Superboy, Nightwing, and Raptor behind.

* * *

"Karla," Nightwing shook his sister's shoulder. She was on the ground still, staring at the spot that Kaldur had just vacated. Nightwing swallowed hard. These next few moments were going to be difficult. "Karla, come on. We have to get out of here."

"What?" Raptor whispered as Nightwing hauled her to her feet. She blinked a few times, shaking her head as if to clear it. Nightwing fiddled with the collar around her neck and a few seconds later it clicked open with a hiss. The inhibitor collar clattered to the ground.

"We need to get out of here," Nightwing repeated patiently. "There's still a bomb in the Cave, and you never know what Aqualad might do." Even though Nightwing did know, and he also knew that it was imperative that they get out of the Cave as soon as possible. "Go get Wolf, okay?" Nightwing said. "I'll meet you down at the hanger." His sister took a deep breath and then nodded.

Raptor took off down the hallway of the Cave. She found Wolf asleep in the lounge and whistled for the oversized dog. Wolf yawned loudly, and then hopped off the couch and padded over to Raptor. She scowled at him half-heartedly.

"Where were _you_?" she muttered as she fiddled with his collar. Once it had snapped off, she began to jog towards the hanger, looking back to make sure Wolf was following, which he was.

When she reached the hanger, Wolf padding along behind her, Nightwing was loading Superboy into the SuperCycle. The clone was still unconscious, but the inhibitor collar around his neck was gone. Nightwing turned back, nodding in relief when he saw his sister and Wolf approaching.

"Come on," Nightwing said. Raptor ran over to her brother, leaping into the SuperCycle. Wolf jumped into his normal seat in the front, and Nightwing stepped in as well. He took off, steering the SuperCycle out of the Cave.

And they almost made it out, too.

* * *

When Sara woke up, a couple things tipped her off that she wasn't in her bed. For one thing, her head hurt like a bitch. She briefly considered the fact that she might be hung-over, but quickly realized that this headache felt different. Furthermore, her hands were bound behind her back and she couldn't move her feet.

The blonde girl finally managed to blink her eyes open, groaning in pain. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. She was indeed tied up, and Impulse and Beast Boy were slowly waking up next to her in the same predicament. Blue Beetle was still slumped forward, unconscious. He was also tied up.

Looking around, Sara realized that she was on the Manta Flyer. She was able to put the pieces together quickly after that.

Someone had gotten the jump on her in the Cave, and she had been kidnapped with several of her teammates. But where were the others? Sara squeezed her eyes shut, trying to alleviate her headache and also draw any information she might have to the forefront of her brain.

"Can't believe we didn't end Superboy back there when we had the chance," someone was griping. Sara turned her head. It was Tommy Terror. Sitting next to him was Icicle Junior.

"Boss Fish still has a soft spot for his old teammates," the ice-controller grumbled, not bothering to lower his voice enough for Aqualad not to hear.

"Do it." Sara heard Aqualad say from behind her. _Do what?_

"You sure?" a gruff female voice asked her boss.

"Do it," Aqualad repeated. There was a second of silence, and then a loud explosion. Sara swung her head towards the window, her eyes wide with disbelief. Next to her, Beast Boy gasped audibly and Impulse shouted out.

Mount Justice – the Cave – it was gone.

Aqualad had destroyed it.

* * *

Raptor had woken up in the med bay at the Hall of Justice. She was being treated for superficial cuts and contusions and mild second-degree burns, and her entire body ached. But none of her injuries hurt as much as the knowledge that not only was the Cave gone, but that her teammates had been captured.

Nightwing walked into the library, holding the flash drive Aqualad had passed to him discreetly tightly in his hand. His sister was sitting at a table, leaning forward. He sighed, walking over to her.

"Karly?" he said hesitantly. She didn't answer, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" Raptor tore her eyes away from the surface of the table, and looked at her brother. She nodded once, slowly.

"Fine," she said, her voice raspy. He wondered if it was the saltwater from the sea, or if she had been crying. "Can I go home?" Nightwing nodded, closing his eyes. He didn't really want his sister to be by herself, but he needed to look at the information Aqualad had passed him privately.

"Yeah," he permitted, turning away. Go ahead." Nightwing waited until the Zeta Tube had powered down after his sister's departure, and then he headed over to one of the small computers in the library. He knew better than to project it on the big monitor - it was too risky that someone would come in and see before he noticed their presence.

Nightwing opening up a clean, untraceable window where the information the flash drive contained wouldn't be recorded. He watched as it uploaded, and then slowly began deciphering the code that he and Aqualad had painstakingly worked out prior to the mission. There was another file as well.

Twenty minutes later, Nightwing understood. It had been exactly what he'd assumed. Aqualad had to make the raid of the Cave look good, which was why he'd taken hostages and blown up Mount Justice. He had done this to cement his position in the Light so he could further climb the ladder - apparently not all of them were convinced by Artemis's death.

The extra file on the flash drive was tracking software for a micro tag Aqualad had injected into La'gaan's blood stream. It would lead them to the Atlantean and to the other missing members of the Team.

Nightwing pulled the flash drive out of the computer, painstakingly erasing any trace that it had ever been there. Then he filled a mug with hot coffee and sipped it slowly, contemplating.

This mission had already had greater losses and greater risks than he and Kaldur had ever anticipated. Malina Island, the Mars communication satellite, La'gaan and the other members of the Team, and now Mount Justice. Nightwing sat down in his chair again, lowering his head into his hands.

 _This will be all worth it in the end_ , he reminded himself.

* * *

 _"Recognized: Mockingbird: B-Zero-Five."_ Nightwing looked up as the Zeta Tube in the Hall of Justice library powered up once more, his shoulders slumped. Wally had just given him a good chewing out, re-strengthening Nightwing's doubts about the mission.

Paityn stepped out of the Zeta Tube, looking around. Her eyes fell on Nightwing, and she visibly relaxed. She crossed the room quickly, and Nightwing stood to meet her. The two of them hugged, Nightwing's arms curving familiarly over Paityn's wings. Paityn sighed, her heart pounding in her chest as she ran a hand over her friend's back, convincing herself that he was fine.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said stoically after she'd pulled back. Nightwing mustered up a weak laugh.

"Come all the way out here to tell me that?" he asked. To his surprise, Paityn's eyes dimmed. She shook her head, sitting down in the chair next to Nightwing's. He swiveled to face her, frowning. "Everything okay?"

"No," she replied. She wiped her hands over her face and then looked at her old friend. To Nightwing's surprise, her eyes were filled with tears. "Dick," she whispered. "I'm so sorry." Nightwing shook his head. He leaned forward, taking her hand.

"What are you talking about?" Paityn closed her eyes and took a deep breath like she was steeling herself for something. When she spoke, her words came out clear as day, and yet they made no sense to Nightwing.

"Jason Todd is at A.R.G.U.S.," she told him, her voice low. Nightwing went totally still, his hands slackening around Paityn's. One by one, they fell to his sides, and then he shook his head once, almost unconsciously.

"What?" he whispered at last, positive that he had hard her incorrectly. Paityn winced, swallowing hard. This was exactly as hard as she'd thought it would be, perhaps even harder than she'd thought.

"Jason," she repeated, her voice choppy sounding. "Is alive. He's at A.R.G.U.S." Nightwing shook his head slowly, standing up. He was silent as he processed the information, but on the inside his heart and mind were racing. Jason was _alive_. His brother was _alive._

"I don't – " his voice broke off, cracking, and he took a deep breath. Even so, when he spoke, his voice was shaky. "I don't understand."

"A.R.G.U.S. has been keeping tabs on Talia al Ghul for almost a decade," Paityn began to explain. Her voice was now devoid of any emotion, but her eyes still looked pained as she spoke. "She was in Gotham Cemetery a while ago, and we ran tests on the soil. Jason's body was gone." Nightwing's head shot up, and his breath caught. "It wasn't until recently that – "

"Hang on," Nightwing interrupted her. "You've known about this for – _months?_ And you're just now telling me." He shook his head slowly. "Paityn…" he whispered. "How long?" The blonde teenager looked at him for a long moment. When she answered, her words split the silence between them like an axe.

"Six months," she replied. Nightwing closed his eyes, anger beating through his entire body. He stood up suddenly, shoving the chair he was sitting in back. It scraped over the floor loudly, the shriek cutting through the heavy silence in the room. Nightwing turned away, and he began to pace back and forth, his heart hammering.

"Six months," he repeated. He set his jaw and swallowed hard, struggling to process this. The information itself was hard enough, his disappointment in Paityn made everything worse. "Six months. And how long have you known for certain that he was alive?"

"Since the end of February," Paityn whispered. Nightwing's breath caught, and he turned away, closing his eyes.

"How could you?" he asked quietly. His voice shook with the weight of her betrayal. "How could you not tell me this?"

"I'm not trying to make excuses," Paityn told him. Her voice was flat, but surprisingly steady. She fixed her eyes on Nightwing's back. Part of her hoped that he would turn around to face her and the other part was glad his back was turned. "I did what I thought was best. I'm sorry that I made the wrong call."

"The _wrong call_ ," Nightwing repeated incredulously. "I think it's more than that." There was a beat of silence, and then: "Let me see him," Nightwing insisted suddenly. He swung around towards Paityn, his actions almost aggressive. "I want to see him."

"No," Paityn said. Her heart clenched when she saw the look on her friend's face. "You can't." Nightwing stared at her, almost certain that he'd misheard his friend.

" _No?"_

"Dick," Paityn tried to explain, sighing. "Jason was resurrected by the Lazarus Pit. It gave him his life back, but he lost his soul." Paityn shrugged tightly. "I – I just got confirmation from Zatanna that she can restore him." Nightwing made a wounded noise.

"Zatanna knows?" Nightwing asked, his voice broken and tortured. He was upset, if not surprised, that Paityn had kept this from him, but knowing that Zatanna had as well was even worse.

"No," Paityn said immediately, realizing what her words had made it sound like. She held her hands up and shook her head vehemently, even though Nightwing had turned his back to her once more. "Dick, no, she doesn't. She doesn't know it's Jason. Don't blame – don't be angry with her." Nightwing shook his head, laughing in an incredulous, disbelieving manner. He shook his head.

"But you told her first, still," he said, shaking his head. "Paityn..."

"I know," she replied, her voice low. Nightwing leaned forward, bracing himself against the table in front of him. He clenched his teeth and spoke quickly, biting the words out.

"Please leave," he requested, monotonously. He fixed his eyes on the wall across from him. He couldn't look at her. He couldn't.

"Dick," Paityn said. "I'm sorry. I truly am."

"Leave," he whispered again. Ignoring him, she stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder. Despite her best efforts to put on a professional front, her voice cracked as she spoke, begging for Nightwing's understanding, if not his forgiveness.

"Haven't you made hard decisions too?"

"Not like this," Nightwing responded, his voice tight and cold. There was a moment of silence, and then Paityn's footsteps moved away. Nightwing heard the Zeta Tube power up. Once he was alone again, Nightwing straightened up, struggling to breathe.

He thought about his last words to Paityn just now, when he'd claimed he hadn't made a hard decision like she had, and he slumped forward under the heaviness of his own lie.

* * *

 **well.**

 **the last part didn't exactly come out the way i wanted it too...but...i wanted to get something up.**

 **anyways.**

 **please leave a review and let me know what you think! i truly appreciate and love any and all feedback.**

 **review if you loved it, hated it, liked it, or was neutral about it. i would love to hear your thoughts!**

 **thanks! :)**


	8. Before the Dawn

**To Skyelar665: thanks! there will be more of that as the story progresses XP**

 **To Natalie: I haven't, but I might. I love those movies. If I did, it would be after I finish this story. But you never know! Thanks for the idea!**

 **To BraziaRios: Haha, I feel about the anger part. And here's the update you wanted! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice, or Sara and Nate. Only Raptor.**

* * *

 **PACIFIC OCEAN**

 **March 30, 18:18 HAST**

When one is being held in a pod that is only big enough to stand up straight in, it is hard to keep track of time. Very hard.

White Canary wasn't sure how long it had been since she'd been taken captive, but it felt like forever. She was inside, so there was no natural light to give her any cues, and it wasn't like she was wearing a watch. Besides, she was unconscious a lot of the time, and it was impossible to gauge the length of her dreamless slumbers.

This time, when she blinked into consciousness, White Canary was able to stay alert and be aware of her surroundings. Or at least, more so than any of the other times she'd regained consciousness. White Canary groaned, rolling her head back and listening to it crack before craning her head forward to try and see out of the red-tinted pod.

She was in a large room. The walls appeared to be dark red, but it was hard to tell if that was just the tint of the glass in front of her, the lighting of the room as a whole, or if it was indeed the true color of the walls. The architecture was like nothing shr had ever seen before. Which made sense – it was alien, it had to be.

Every now and then, an alien would appear in front of her, dressed in a long robe with a sort of veil covering parts of her – she appeared female – face and head.

The alien spoke in rolling, clicking tones, nothing that White Canary could even come close to understanding. She observed the young hero like the blonde was a specimen of some kind. Which, okay. To be fair, Canary supposed she _was_ a sort of specimen.

Canary had found it difficult to keep consciousness for too long. Every now and then, a tube would be injected into her forearm, and it was clearly nutrients of some kind, but White Canary still often felt dizzy from lack of food and water, not to mention the limited air in the pod.

Even more disruptive were the experiments, or what White Canary assumed to be experiments. There were mechanisms in the pod that deployed some sort of metal prongs. They dug into Canary's skin, something that hurt enough as it was, and then electricity began to surge through them.

At first it had been a mild prickle of electricity, an uncomfortable hum throughout her entire body – only a little more powerful than a stem machine White Canary used on sore muscles. Quickly, however, the tests became more and more powerful. Now, the electricity was so strong that White Canary could barely stay conscious for a few seconds after the initial shock.

Canary had no idea what they were testing her for, or why they had chosen her. Clearly the tests being given weren't specifically for her; every one of the abductees received the same electric shock treatment.

Taking this opportunity to look at the people around her, White Canary turned her head as far to the right as she could. The only pods on that side of her appeared to be empty, but it was hard to tell for sure. She repeated the action on the left and stifled a gasp.

The boy in the pod next to her was Nate.

* * *

 **STAR CITY**

 **March 30, 21:57 PDT**

Raptor peered over at the dock of Star City. She was crouched on a huge stack of crates. The pile was large enough that she was fifteen feet above the ground with crates stacked higher still around her.

She was sitting next to Batgirl and Robin, and the three of them were waiting for their chance to infiltrate the group of teenagers that the Manta Troopers were currently trying to abduct. Bumblebee, in her miniature form, was standing on Robin's shoulder.

The dark-haired girl stared stoically ahead, trying to ignore any thoughts swirling through her head other than the ones about the mission in front of her. Especially any of the thoughts that pertained to Jason in any way.

Raptor shook her head, trying to forget the painful conversation last week in which her brother had relayed to her that Jason was still alive, but that she couldn't see him, and that he wasn't sure if Jason would ever be the same again. Raptor had her doubts as well. Jason had been resurrected by the Lazarus Pit, and well, it was the Pit that had made Clayface what the creature was.

Only for Jason, it hadn't changed his physical appearance, or given him powers. It had made him lose his soul and mind, made him into a violent creature that attacked anything and everything.

Since that conversation, Raptor had struggled to keep her mind on anything else. If she wasn't worrying about Jason, she was worrying about Sara and Jaime. In short, her nerves were on edge, and she'd consequently been even more of an asshole in the past week than usual.

 _*FLASHBACK*_

 _"Karla," Dick said, looking at his sister in concern. "Are you sure you're up for this?" Karla nodded impatiently._

 _"I'm positive," she snapped. She was trying to sound irritated, but her voice was shaking. She hated the thought of being put in a pod, being kidnapped and taken to an unknown place. Dick didn't want her to do it anymore than she wanted to do it. But that was the distinction. She didn't want to, she felt that she needed to._

 _Dick eyed his sister doubtfully. He wasn't sure if she was aware of how pale her face was, how tightly her hands were clenched together, or the fact she was shaking. He shook his head, but instead of pointing any of this out, he decided to opt for a more diplomatic argument._

 _"I need Tim to go," Dick told her. "You two don't typically work well together." Karla grimaced, at the thought of cooperating with the Replacement, but she shook her head resolutely._

 _"I don't care." She lifted her chin, tossing her hair back defiantly. "It'll be fine." Dick sighed. It was clear that Karla wasn't going to budge on this argument._

 _"Karla," he began. Before he could get any further, his sister stepped up to him. Her hands relaxed slowly, and she spoke quietly, in a much softer tone than before._

 _"Dick," she begged. "Please. I want – I need to do this. I need to do something to keep my mind off – everything. And I want to see Sara and Jai – and everyone again, make sure they're okay."_

 _Dick narrowed his eyes at his sister. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she had been about to say 'Jaime.' The question was why._

 _But it was a question for a different day._

 _"Alright," Dick acquiesced with a sigh. "You can go."_

 _*FLASHBACK*_

"Now," Batgirl hissed, drawing Raptor out of her daydream. She snapped out of it quickly and nodded sharply. Batgirl lead the other teens as the three acrobats leapt easily over the crates. Reaching the edge of the crate pile, Batgirl rocked back lightly and then jumped forward. She landed on the I-beam and then scrambled up the scaffolding. Robin and Raptor were right behind her.

The three teenagers stood above the metal pin that the teenagers being abducted were being kept in. Once the Manta Troopers had turned their backs, all three dropped into the cage, landing lightly as not to be noticed. Immediately, the teenagers began to murmur amongst themselves anxiously, eying the three teens with suspicion.

"Sh," Raptor snapped impatiently, glaring at the kids who were making noise.

"We're here to help," Batgirl added, more gently. She placed a hand on Raptor's shoulder and gave the girl a warning look. Raptor shrugged Batgirl's hand off, turning away.

"Why should we trust – " a blonde haired girl wearing a purple jacket began. Before she could finish her sentence, Bumblebee was floating down into the cage, heading towards her teammates. The blonde girl stopped talking, her mouth open as she tracked Bumblebee's journey. Robin pulled his jacket open, and the miniaturized hero slid into the boy's pocket. "Okay," the girl said, shrugging. "Never mind."

Behind the heroes, the gate scraped across the ground as the Troopers stormed into the pin. Raptor tensed automatically when one of the Troopers grabbed her arm. Swallowing hard to try and quell her rising panic, Raptor followed the Trooper and obediently entered the pod.

As Raptor's back pressed against the back of the pod and the glass cover closed her in, the head mercenary who had helped lead the attack in the Cave stopped in front of her. Raptor's hands curled into fists, her heart pounding. Somehow both she and her brother had failed to realize that this person might recognize her from the Cave, even in her civvies.

To Raptor's relief, the mercenary didn't say anything or make any indication that she recognized Raptor. She didn't even blink. Raptor lowered her head, pretending to be too frightened to meet the merc's gaze.

When Raptor dropped her gaze, she missed the odd expression that crossed the woman's face as she studied Raptor.

It was regret, and sadness.

* * *

 _'Alpha Squad,'_ Miss Martian's voice rang over the mental link. ' _I'm heading into the alien ship. Are you aboard?'_ Raptor looked around at her surroundings. The pod cut off most of her peripheral vision, but she could make out her surroundings well enough.

 _'Affirmative,'_ Batgirl confirmed, speaking for her and the other two Bats. _'We're in a…docking bay of some kind,'_ she relayed to the Team members aboard the BioShip and Miss Martian. _'We've got eyes on the new aliens,'_ Batgirl continued. ' _Aka the Krolotean's competitor, aka the Light's partner.'_

 _'And_ other _company_ ,' Raptor muttered, her eyes falling on Aqualad as he approached his right-hand, the mercenary dressed in orange. She pressed her back against the pod as to not draw attention to herself. ' _It's Aqualad,'_ she added, clarifying. ' _If he makes us, we're over.'_

 _'Stay whelmed,'_ Nightwing ordered. Nightwing, of course, had no concerns for Aqualad looking for any of the Team members; if he did see them, he'd ignore it. But obviously no one else knew that. ' _He won't be looking for you. Just don't attract attention.'_

Raptor felt the pod moving underneath her; they were being pushed forward. It was a short journey down the hallway to another large room bathed in red light. Raptor watched as the pods were picked up by some sort of metal claw and lowered into an oval surrounding the room. She felt her own pod moving, and took the advantage of a birds-eye view to see a better picture.

' _I found Gar and Bart,'_ Miss Martian cried, relief evident in her mental voice. ' _They're unconscious but alive. No sign of Sara, Jaime or La'gaan.'_

Raptor craned her head forward slightly, and she smiled in relief when she saw White Canary. The girl's eyes were closed, but even from the distance, Raptor could tell that her breathing was steady. La'gaan was a few pods away from her, and the remaining pods were filled with civilians.

There were two people besides Sara and La'gaan that Raptor recognized. One was Shimmer, of all people, and the other was Nate Heywood. He had been missing for over a month now, and Raptor felt a stab of relief that he was okay.

' _We've got eyes on Lagoon Boy and Canary,'_ Batgirl replied. ' _And…_ Shimmer? _Uh, plus five civilians and all the teens we came in with.'_ Raptor looked around the room.

The blonde girl who had been hesitant to trust the three vigilantes was still conscious, one of the few. Her hands were pressed against the glass, her face contorted in a panicked grimace.

Raptor frowned. This girl looked very familiar, but Raptor couldn't place her face. But now wasn't the time to worry about who this girl was and why Raptor recognized her.

' _We're unsupervised,'_ Raptor said, looking around to make sure the aliens were truly gone. ' _But Jaime's still missing, and if we try to escape it could trigger a response. Should we wait?'_

 _'Negative, Alpha,'_ Nightwing responded to his sister promptly. ' _Make your move, before you need rescuing too. You too, Miss M. Get our boys.'_ As soon as her brother gave the word, Raptor began to fiddle with the locking mechanism in front of her.

The tech was clearly alien, but Nightwing had ensured that the three of them had come equipped with weapons that could break through the glass and metal. Since the three of them had dropped into the metal pin after the teens had been captured, none of them had been stripped of their weapons, as Raptor assumed the Troopers must have done.

Raptor's pod busted open at the same time that Batgirl's and Robin's did, all three heroes falling to the ground. Batgirl got to her feet first.

"Hurry," Batgirl told the younger heroes. As if on cue, an alarm started to blare, and Batgirl winced. "That sounds about right. Let's move."

Raptor rushed around the room, opening the pods up as quickly as she could. It was significantly easier from the outside; she didn't even _have_ to break them open. She simply pushed a button, and viola. Raptor callously let most of the teenagers stumble out on their own accord, but when she got to White Canary's pod, she took her time helping the other girl out.

Canary's eyes opened and she blinked a few times, shaking her head. She grinned when she saw Raptor, and allowed the shorter girl to pull White Canary out of the pod and support her. Raptor's arm curved around White Canary's waist, her forehead wrinkling in concern as she looked at her friend.

"Well, hello, Princess Charming," Canary teased. Just as quickly as it had come up, the grin fell off of her face. "Nate," she recalled, and turned to the pod next to her. Raptor had anticipated her best friend's concern, and was already stepping up. Raptor pressed a few buttons on the pod and the the pod slid open.

Nate slumped forward, and White Canary lurched forward. She caught him, grunting under the dead weight of the seventeen year old boy. She lowered him to the ground, and his eyes scrunched up. He groaned, and opened his eyes. They opened slowly, and then all at once as he realized his surroundings.

He blinked a few times, looking at the girl above him. His brain processed the information slowly, looking at the familiar face to the familiar costume - but the two together didn't make sense. Nate's mouth fell open, and he sat up quickly, gaping at the blonde in front of him in abject shock.

"Sara – Sara!" he cried. "What the – what the hell?" She helped him up, pressing a hand over his mouth pointedly.

"I know," she replied, glancing down at her outfit. She was dressed in her white jumpsuit, clearly the White Canary, and Nate clearly recognized her. Canary sighed inwardly. _So much for a secret identity._ "We'll talk later," she added, steadying him as she let go of his arm. "Right now, you need to get out of here. I'm right behind you!" she added when he started to protest.

Nate hesitated, but upon seeing the stream of other teenagers leaving the room, he nodded. Once Canary was satisfied that Nate would be safe with the group and Bumblebee to lead them, she turned around. She looked towards Raptor, wincing as the sudden movement made her head spin.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked the other girl.

"Go with them," Raptor ordered, jutting her chin towards the disappearing crowd of teenagers following Bumblebee. She spared a glance at Lagoon Boy. "Both of you. The last thing we need is you two slowing us down." White Canary scowled playfully.

"Since I know that's your way of showing concern," she said, grabbing Lagoon Boy's arm and tugging him away as the Atlantean started to protest. "We'll go." Raptor nodded, a quick, sharp movement and turned back around. Alien guards had swarmed onto the site of the escape, and Batgirl and Robin had already begun to engage the adversaries.

White Canary and Lagoon Boy ran down the hallway, quickly catching up with the group of rescued teenagers. Bumbleebee led the group to the docking bay, where Superboy was waiting for them. The clone was dressed in Manta Trooper armor, but his helmet had been thrown carelessly to the ground. It was clear that he'd infiltrated the bay and secured it for the Team.

On the other end of the docking bay, Wonder Girl opened the hatch. The door led into the holding area of the BioShip, where the teens would be evacuated to. She waved her arm, beckoning the group of teenagers forward.

"Alright!" she shouted. "Let's move, people!"

White Canary and Lagoon Boy stayed back with Bumblebe as Wonder Girl waved all the civilians onto the ship. Both heroes wanted to make sure the civilians were safe first. Nate wove back between the throngs of teenagers back to White Canary's side. He was staring at her with wide eyes.

"Sara," he said, faltering when she shot him a pointed look and a nod to all the people around. Sure, she didn't care that much about her secret identity, but she didn't want random people to know either. "Sorry," he said, ducking his head in an abashed manner. "What is going on?"

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure," Canary admitted. She slid her eyes around the docking bay, still empty of any gaurds or Troopers. "But we need to move quickly, so – " A pained grunt and a loud thump made White Canary spin around. Her eyes went wide when she saw the clone on the ground.

The clone had been thrown back by an alien guard. White Canary's eyes widened further as the huge alien entered the docking bay. His armor was indentical to Blue Beetle's, except for the color, which was black.

"Apologies, meat," he said. He spoke English, but his voice had a certain – accent? – to it, the same clicking tones that the aliens spoke to eachother. "But no one is going anywhere." Before any of the heroes could react, the alien placed his hand against the wall. Upon his touch, the wall shimmered, and the doors on either end closed, cutting of access to the hallway and the BioShip.

White Canary stepped forward, instinctively shifting her body so that Nate was behind her. He and one other civilian boy had been cut off from entering the hold.

"Listen, uh, Black Beetle!" Wonder Girl cried. The Amazonian stepped forward, pointing at the alien commandingly. "You're totally outnumbered. Open those doors, and we'll go easy on you." Black Beetle chuckled in a patronizing manner, like he found Wonder Girl amusing.

"You," he drawled, shaking his head. "Go easy on me?" He laughed again, a dark, menacing chuckle, throwing his head back. As he did so, his armor grew into battle mode, with two large spikes growing out of the back of his armor.

It was something Blue did with his armor often, but when they were being faced by a large enemy, it was certainly more threatening. White Canary stiffened at the ominous sounding laugh and looked at her teammates nervously.

"Think we might have jinxed it," Canary murmured, reaching into her belt and pulling out her collapsible staff. She lashed it out, and it grew to its full length in one swift movement.

Raptor scowled, reaching into her jacket and pulling out a dagger. She'd only brought one of her usual weapons and her utility belt in order to keep up the guise of being undercover, but now she was wishing for her other weapons.

"No shit," she muttered back.

* * *

"Both of you, stay back," Sara barked, sweeping forward in front of Nate and the other teenager. Nate's shoulders hunched instinctively as he watched the heroes around him throw themselves into battle. Even the largest hero was dwarfed by the alien, but the heroes seemed undettered by this.

Nate glanced at the boy next to him. He looked to be a little younger than Nate. He was African-American, with short dreads that flopped around his face from underneath a blue baseball cap. To Nate's relief, the other boy looked just as scared as Nate felt.

The two boys watched in horror as Black Beetle, as dubbed by…Wonder _Girl_? Nate wasn't sure of all the names of the heroes around him; the only reason he knew White Canary was because she protected his hometown.

And now he knew that she was also the alter ego of one of his best friends. Yup, Nate's life was certifiably insane.

But this blonde chick had the same symbol on her shirt was Wonder Woman did on her armor. Plus, she had the same silver bands around her wrists, and a lasso at her hip. It was a safe assumption.

Anyways, Black Beetle was throwing the heroes around easily, even the ones who clearly had superpowers. There was one dark-haired teenager dressed in the black and red armor that Nate had seen some people wearing around the ship before who clearly had super strength, but both he and Wonder Girl were both on the ground.

Nate's heart pounded nervously as he watched Sara. He'd always known that his friend was tough, and that she could easily beat up nearly anyone she came across, but that was when he'd assumed her only adversaries would be humans. Now, even knowing that she was a superhero, something about the fact that she was fighting an alien worried him. The blonde had so far evaded any injuries, but he wasn't sure how long that would last for, and he really didn't want to see his friend get hurt.

Black Beetle slung the fish person backwards into a computer. The sparks flashed, and the bright light danced across Nate's vision. Both him and the other boy throw their hands up to instinctively cover their eyes. When Nate blinked his open again, he saw with dismay that both the boy with the sunglasses, and the fish-looking guy had been taken out.

The redheaded girl and the dark-haired girl with sunglasses, as well as Sara were still fighting. As Nate watched, however, the girl with sunglasses leapt at Black Beetle, trying to catch him off guard. She flipped onto his shoulders, bringing her dagger down - she seemed to be aiming for his shoulder.

Black Beetle laughed in amusement and reached around, plucking the girl from his back. He slung her into the ground, and then pointed his cannon at her. Before he could fire, Sara launched herself at him, crying out.

And by crying out, Nate meant that she produced a sonic scream.

The blast made the alien slide back a few feet. Black Beetle winced and clutched his ears, shaking his head. Some of the other superheroes had also thrown their hands over their ears. Clearly, nobody had anticipated that attack. Black Beetle looked at Sara curiously.

"Well done, meat," he sneered. "I see the Scientist was not wrong." Sara's eyes were wide with shock, and she slid to the ground, clutching her throat. Nate tried to remember if he'd ever seen footage of the White Canary using a sonic scream like Black Canary before, but he couldn't remember. If this was the first time, it would certainly explain Sara's shock.

Before Sara could snap out of her surprise, the alien easily backhanded the girl across the room. She slammed into the wall, and fell flat on her chest. Her head bowed forward, and she was down.

Nate's eyes widened as the boy next to him moved. The dark-skinned boy lunged forward, reaching out for the gun lying next to the hero dressed in the red and black armor. Before he could reach it, the young woman with a crazy tattoo on the bare skin of her shaved head kicked him backwards. She had been standing by the fight this entire time, but now she turned back and nodded at the Black Beetle.

The boy grunted as he hit the ground hard, his breath wheezing. Nate knelt down next to him, his eyes wide. He touched the boy's shoulder, quietly impressed by his bravery, and also a little chagrined that he hadn't even thought to do anything to help.

"You okay?" he asked, nervously looking back on the woman who has advancing on the two boys with a smirk. The boy coughed and nodded. Nate stood up, eyeing the girl warily.

He squared up to her, and actually managed to duck her first punch. He wasn't so lucky on the next one, however, and she caught him across the face with a right hook. Before she could do further damage, she was tackled aside by the redheaded hero.

Nate's hands flew to his face, his heart jumping erratically in his chest as he felt the rush of warm, sticky liquid flow over his fingers. His nose was bleeding.

"Shit," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. He tried to remain calm, knowing that if his heart was beating fast, the blood would only flow faster. But it was kind of hard to stop freaking out when he was pretty sure he was going to bleed to death.

Swallowing hard, Nate tried to push down his rising panic. It didn't help when the black-haired boy with super strength got thrown down _again_. A girl with green skin and red hair cropped into a pixie cut poked her head through the door – the _closed_ door.

Nate's scientific brain was on a fritz. Sure, he'd known on an intellectual level that people with super strength and other various superpowers existed but seeing them with his own two eyes as another thing altogether.

Not to mention the fact that he was freaking out because the superheroes, the good guys, were _losing._

Black Beetle was busy slamming Wonder Girl against the door of the docking bay, but not too busy to miss the ghost-girl trying to shift through the walls. He placed his hand on the door, and it seemed to ripple. The green-skinned girl's eyes widened, and she fell limp.

"What did you do to her?" Wonder Girl cried, looking at her teammate in dismayed anger. Even from the other side of the room, Nate could hear Black Beetle's creaky response.

"Shifted the density of the door," the alien replied. "Wasn't quite prepared for that, now, was she?" He looked back at Wonder Girl. "But don't be jealous," he continued. "I can put you halfway through the door, too. Halfway, the _hard_ way." With that, he began to pound the blonde superhero into the door. She yelled out in pain, and after a few moments, Black Beetle let her slump to the ground.

Nate swallowed hard again, still pinching the bridge of his nose as blood continued to pump over his fingers. As he watched, the door to the docking bay opposite him slid open. A green gorilla wearing a red and white collar, a brown-haired boy wearing a red and white jumpsuit, and a tall boy with the same armor as Black Beetle entered the room.

The _Blue_ Beetle's eyes widened, and he leaned out and placed a hand against the door. Nate heard the boy behind him cry out in surprise, and he whirled around. The other door had opened, leaving them an escape route, and the other teenager had fallen backwards.

"Go!" The girl with long red hair commanded Nate when he hesitated to follow. Nate glanced at Sara's prone body, but something about the young woman's tone of voice warned him not to argue. Plus, he had just seen her kick someone's ass and might have been a little scared of her.

Nate pulled himself to his feet, and walked slowly into the ship waiting for him, his eyes fixed on the battle he was leaving the whole time.

* * *

Raptor rolled over slowly, her vision blurring. Someone was saying her name. Batgirl was leaning over her, and her face relaxed when she saw that Raptor was awake.

"Can you stand?" she asked. Raptor groaned, and then nodded, pushing herself to her feet. Batgirl nodded briskly. "Good. We need to move quickly. If you can, help the others." Raptor's eyes fell beyond Batgirl's shoulder, and her eyes widened. Blue Beetle was battling Black Beetle, engaging him so the others didn't have to. "Raptor!"

"R – right," Raptor stuttered, dragging a hand over her face. "I got it." Raptor glanced at White Canary on the ground and knelt next to the blonde girl. She pulled Canary's arm over her shoulder, wincing as she did so. She was going to be sore for a while after this throw down.

By the time Raptor managed to pull her friend into the hold of the BioShip, everyone else was on board as well. The heroes who had been knocked out were slowly coming to, White Canary included. There was only one person missing.

"Where's Blue?" Raptor asked, her voice sharper and more concerned than she had intended it to be.

"Going back in for him!" Impulse replied. He sped towards the open hatch, but before he could make it, a large wave of seawater rushed in and knocked the speedster back. Beast Boy knelt into the knee-deep water to pull Impulse above the surface.

"Nightwing, seal the hatch!" Batgirl ordered. "The docking bay is flooding our hold!"

"Acknowledged!" Nightwing replied. Raptor shook her head slowly, staring at the closing door.

"We can't just leave him!" she said, whirling around to face the older girl. Batgirl's eyes narrowed in confusion. She'd doubted Raptor had even realized it, but for a just a moment, her voice had been Karla's – slightly accented, with much more emotion than Raptor usually spoke with on the field.

"We'll get him," Batgirl reassured the other girl instead of commenting on the slip. "But we can't help him if we drown, or are crushed by the pressure at this depth." Raptor scowled at Batgirl for a minute, but the older woman didn't back down. Finally Raptor nodded, her jaw locking.

"Roger," she muttered, looking away.

* * *

Raptor waited impatiently for Lagoon Boy to return with Blue Beetle. Usually Raptor was pretty good about keeping her private life and alter ego's emotions and general personality off of the field, but tonight she kept slipping.

She was worried about Jaime. He'd been kidnapped for a week, and for whatever reason, these aliens seemed to have a particular interest in him.

Lagoon Boy reentered the BioShip, surrounded by a bubble of water. One of the abductees leapt backwards to allow Lagoon Boy space, and the bubble popped, spraying everyone with droplets of cold seawater. Raptor rushed to Blue Beetle's side, gently cradling his head.

Blue was unconscious, but his breathing was steady and even. Raptor let herself relax slightly. She looked up, her eyes landing on Impulse and she nodded at the speedster.

"Help me," she requested, carefully pulling Blue over her shoulder. Impulse appeared at her side instantaneously. Raptor blinked, reorienting herself as Impulse took some of Blue Beetle's weight. Together, they helped him into the cockpit of the BioShip and lowered him into a seat.

After a few moments, Raptor saw Blue Beetle's eyes open below his mask. He blinked a few times, and then bolted up straight, his armor disappearing.

"It's me!" He shouted. "It's me!"

"Of course it is," Impulse said flippantly, smiling at his friend. Raptor leaned forward, unable to stop herself.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, her voice low. Jaime blinked, frowning slightly. It wasn't like Raptor to check on him, or really anyone for that matter. But he still smiled at her gratefully.

"I'm fine," he replied. Raptor stood up suddenly, straightening her shoulders. She looked away, like she was embarrassed.

"Good," she said, her voice clipped and brusque. Jaime watched her, tilting his head slightly. He was a little confused; for some reason he'd just had intense deja vu. Raptor had seemed very familiar for a moment.

Jaime shook his head. He'd known Raptor for a few months, he reminded himself, of course things about her were _familiar_.

* * *

White Canary leaned against the wall of the BioShip, exhausted. Her vision was blurry from being knocked out, and she just generally felt like shit from being kidnapped for a week. Not to mention the fact that she was _confused._

She'd produced a sonic scream. That had never happened before; and the ability to do so had manifested _extremely_ early in both Dinah and Canary's mother. The whole family had just assumed that the power had skipped her, for whatever reason. But she'd definitely screamed just now.

And Black Beetle's words had been extremely unsettling - something about the Scientist being right? White Canary shook her head, lost in her thoughts. She had no idea what that even meant.

"Canary," a familiar voice whispered **.** The blonde looked around, her eyes falling on Nate. Her eyes widened and her heart leapt into her throat when she saw his hands were coated with blood.

"Nate!" she cried, all her problems flying out of her brain. She shifted forward so she was gripping his forearms. "Oh my god, Nate! Where are you bleeding from? Why the hell didn't you say something sooner?"

"Sara," he said, whispering her name so that no one would hear. "It's okay."

"What the hell do you mean it's okay – " she snapped. Her voice fell silent when Nate pointed to his nose. Judging from how it looked slightly tender and swollen, and the fact that there was blood above his upper lip, she was guessing he'd been hit across the face and had started to bleed.

But that wasn't the odd thing. The odd part was that the blood had clearly clotted on its own. And that didn't happen to Nate - he was a hemophiliac.

Or maybe _wasn't_ , anymore.

* * *

 **well i hope this chapter's okay...i'm not super duper happy with it to be honest, but i've edited and re-edited and re-edited it, so i guess this is going to be as good as it gets. its also a little on the shorter side, which surprised me.**

 **anyways, thanks for all the feedback so far, i've really appreciated it. and i will continue to appreciate more :)**

 **please leave a review, whether you liked it, hated it, loved it, or were extremely neutral about it. i love any and all feedback.**

 **thanks!**


	9. Cornered

**HELLO LOVLIES  
**

 **To Guest: Your wait is over! Sorry it took so long :)**

 **To BraziaRios: Oh, I def feel all the feels with you :) glad you like Karla and Jaime!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my OCs. But one day...;)**

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **April 1, 08:11 EDT**

Dick hesitated outside the door to his sister's room. He usually left her alone on mornings – he knew all too well how exhausting vigilante activities were, and he liked to let her sleep in when she could. Even on school days, such as today, since Karla had first period free. But Karla typically didn't sleep in this late – she was habitually an early riser and was usually up by seven-thirty.

Besides, today was different. Today marked the tenth anniversary of their family's death. Dick closed his eyes at the thought, his heart aching. Yes, a decade had passed, but the pain was as fresh as if it had happened yesterday.

"Karla?" Dick called, pressing his hand against the door to her room. There was no response, and Dick sighed. "Karly, come on out, okay? It's still a school day. I know you don't want to, but you need to get to school." His sister still didn't say a word, and Dick frowned. He pounded on the door.

"Karla!" he shouted, louder. "Come on, wake up!" When there still wasn't even a grunt responding to the hero, Dick stepped back, his anxiety skyrocketing. He silently counted to ten, giving her another few seconds to respond, and then shoved the door open.

Karla's room was empty. Before leaving, she'd made her bed neatly, as per usual.

Dick sighed, rubbing his forehead. His best guess was that Karla had left without telling him. Which was...annoying, but not unexpected. His pulse slowed down slightly, and he looked around the room. Sure enough, the window was open, the curtain fluttering in the breeze.

Dick turned to leave, grabbing his keys. He knew where Karla had gone.

* * *

 **TAOS**

 **April 1, 17:23 MDT**

Nate clenched his fist, glaring at the floor of the facility. Most of the abducted teenagers had been allowed to go home after talking to the police and getting checked over at the hospital, but he and four other abducted teenagers - the ones who had been abducted for the longest - had been taken to a S.T.A.R. Labs facility, along with Sara and some of her was also another teen there – a bald guy in a white jumpsuit.

Black Canary – who was _Dinah,_ Nate had realized with a jolt of surprise – was talking to each of them individually about what had happened to them. Nate knew that Dinah was a licensed therapist, so he wasn't surprised that she was the one interviewing them.

The silence among the group of teenagers was tense – and well, actually _not_ silent. The speedster teenager was tapping his hands rapid-fire fast against his knees. The slapping sound filled the entire hallway, and it was irritating everyone. However, the speedster was oblivious to all the blatant dirty looks his companions were shooting him.

Finally, the hero next to him seemed to become fed up. It was the hero wearing the same armor that the Reach – apparently that was what the aliens were called – leaned over and slapped his friend's hand down, stilling it against the speedster's knee. The brown-haired speedster blinked, looking down at his hand in surprise. He grinned sheepishly.

"Oh, uh. Sorry," he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. He lowered his hands onto his knees, and they lay flat and still. A moment later, however, another tapping sound filled the hallway. This time it was the speedster's foot against the linoleum of the floor.

Before anyone could murder him, the door clicked open and the long-haired teenager trudged from the room. Dinah stood behind him.

"Thank you, Tye," she said to the departing teen. Her eyes fell on Nate, and she offered him a small smile. "Nate?"

Nate stood up nervously. He wrapped his fingers around the dog tags on his neck, tugging at the chain habitually. As he passed her, Sara looked up and offered him a small, comforting smile.

Upon entering the office, Nate looked around. It was a small room with a desk in the center, and other than that, it was fairly empty. Nate sat down in the chair on the other side of the desk, and Dinah sat opposite of him. She smiled sympathetically.

"Nate," she said. "I'm glad to see that you're okay." Nate smiled tightly, squeezing his hands together. He shrugged uncomfortably, blinking strands of his brown hair out of his eyes. The sensation was unusual – he generally gelled it back, but obviously he hadn't had gel when he'd been abducted by aliens. He fought back a hysterical laugh, and he noticed that Dinah was looking at him in concern.

"Oh," he said. "Did I say that aloud?" Dinah nodded, once, her eyebrows pressed together slightly. "Sorry."

"Okay," she said, after a moment. "I know you've been through a lot," she continued. "But I need to ask you a few questions about the abduction. Is that okay?" Nate nodded slowly, looking around the room again. His eyes fell on a video camera beside the desk. It was pointed at him, and the red light indicated that it was turned on. Nate pointed at the camera.

"Why are you filming me?" he asked Dinah quietly. His hand went back up around his grandfather's dog tags and he pulled at them gently, running his fingers over the metal.

"Just to make sure I remember what you say," she replied to him, sounding a little amused. Nate was guessing he wasn't the first person who had asked that question. "I'm speaking to all of you, not only to find out what happened, but also to provide counseling and support." She nodded at him reassuringly. "This film won't go to anyone, and anything you say to me not directly applicable to the abduction is confidential. No one will find out about it – not my colleagues, not Sara, and not your parents." She looked at Nate steadily. "Okay?" Nate nodded.

"Okay," he exhaled, his breath coming out slowly. He nodded again, steeling himself. "Um. S – so, what questions?" Dinah nodded.

"Do you have any idea why the Reach chose you?" Dinah asked. Nate shrugged.

"I don't know," he replied. He shook his head. "It doesn't make sense. I mean – they did all these experiments on us, and I don't know, it just seemed like they wouldn't have wanted someone who had hemophilia, but…" Nate shrugged. Dinah frowned.

"You said… _had_?" She asked, her voice suddenly sharp with interest and confusion. Nate's head shot up and he nodded, his eyes widening.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed. He paused to gather his thoughts before continuing. "I don't know how it happened or – or what happened, or if it was just a weird fluke, but I stopped bleeding." Nate shook his head, still in disbelief. "I got hit across the face. I got a bloody nose, and about five minutes later?" Nate shrugged. "Nothing." Dinah frowned.

"That is…odd, to say the least," Dinah replied. She thought for a moment. "Once we're done here, I'd like to have some blood tests run on you, if that's okay." Nate nodded eagerly. He wanted to know if his hemophilia was really gone just as badly - probably more badly - than Dinah did. The superhero refocused on what she had meant to ask about. "You mentioned tests," she repeated his words. "What kinds of tests?" Nate frowned.

"Mostly…mostly electric shocks," he replied. His shoulders hunched in. "They got progressively stronger until…I don't know, all I could feel was electricity." Dinah nodded.

"Do you know how long each shock went on for?" Nate shook his head.

"No idea," he replied. "It felt like forever, and once they got strong it was hard to stay conscious for too long." Dinah nodded again.

"Is there anything else you think I need to know?" she asked him. Nate thought for a moment. A lot of his memories from his time on the ship were shadowy. But he could think of one other thing. Nate sighed.

"Yeah," he muttered heavily. "There were some kids who got taken away and never came back. I don't know what happened to them." Dinah's eyes widened and this bit of information, but before she could ask another question, Nate decided to ask one of his own.

"Look, Dinah…can I call home? I want to talk to my mom…she worries so much, she probably thinks I'm dead. And Amaya," Nate said, thinking of his girlfriend. "And my other friends…I want to talk to them." Dinah nodded.

"I understand that," she soothed. "I know waiting is frustrating, and I don't blame you for being impatient. But for now, please trust me. I need you to wait in the hallway with the others until I finish up." Nate nodded, his shoulders slumping. He stood up, and as he walked out of the room, Dinah called after him. "Send in Sara, okay?"

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

 **April 1, 09:17 EDT**

Dick entered the hospital from the parking garage and stepped into the elevator. He felt a pang of guilt as the bell dinged and let him off at the lobby floor. He hadn't been here in almost six weeks. He and Karla usually tried to visit at _least_ once a month, if not every other week. But he had just gotten caught up in everything that had been going on.

Navigating through the crowded lobby easily, Dick signed in at the receptionist's desk. When he signed his name on the visitor's form, his suspicions were confirmed – Karla's name was scrawled in the box two above his own.

"You need help finding someone, hon?" the receptionist asked when she noticed him standing there, holding the pen. Dick smiled politely, placing the pen down next to the clipboard.

"I'm good, thanks," he replied, shoving his hand in his back pocket. "I've been here before." The receptionist nodded, smiling sadly at him. She knew what that meant.

Dick walked through the hallways, passing rooms that looked nearly identical to the one he was headed for. When he got to the hospital room he was looking for, he peeked in.

There were no nurses or doctors currently occupying the space, but Karla was there. She was curled up in one of the chairs beside the bed, her knees tucked to her chest. Dick's shoulders relaxed slightly when he saw that she was there with his own two eyes, and he stepped into the room.

"Hey," he said to Karla. He pulled up a chair next to hers, sitting down with a sigh. He looked at the unconscious man lying in the bed and smiled sadly. "Hi, Uncle Rick."

* * *

Nate exited the room, and Sara turned to look at her friend. Nate's shoulders were hunched like they were too heavy for him to carry, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Even so, he tried to muster up a smile for his friend.

"She wants to see you next," he replied, jerking his head backwards to motion towards the room. Sara nodded, getting to her feet and walking through the door. As soon as the door swung shut behind her, Sara ran forward, throwing her arms around her older sister. Dinah hugged Sara back fiercely, squeezing her younger sister.

"Thank god you're okay," Dinah muttered. She kissed Sara's head, stroking her hair affectionately."Mom and Dad would have killed me if I hadn't gotten you home safe." Sara pulled back, looking at her sister indignantly.

"You?" She reproached the other blonde playfully. "If I remember correctly it was _my_ friends who did all the work." Dinah rolled her eyes, sitting down in the desk chair.

"Sit down, baby sis," she commanded. Sara did as she was told, and Dinah leaned forward, her eyes suddenly serious. "Sara," Dinah said. "Can you tell me what happened on the Reach Ship?" Sara swallowed hard, and Dinah spoke again. "I know it was scary for you," Dinah whispered sadly. "I'm sorry, and I hate that you had to go through that. But can you please tell me?"

"Yeah," Sara whispered. She closed her eyes for a moment, both to regain her composure and to gather her thoughts. "They were experimenting on us for some reason, I'm not really sure why. But they were giving all of us the same treatment, regardless of who we were." Dinah nodded.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" she asked her younger sister. Sara nodded quickly, and Dinah frowned. "What is it?" she asked her sister.

"Dinah." Sara looked at her sister, her blue eyes very wide. "I screamed." Dinah frowned, not quite understanding what her sister meant. She shook her head.

"What do you mean?" Dinah asked.

"I mean," Sara spoke slowly, like she wasn't sure of her words herself. "I somehow...I somehow managed to use the Canary Cry."

* * *

After about another hour of humoring Karla's sullen silence, Dick had forced her out of the hospital room. He'd told her that she could come back later, and he would accompany her, but at the moment he was needed elsewhere, and he didn't want her to be alone.

"But I hate Gotham," she protested as they walked towards a Zeta Tube.

"You're in Gotham right now," Dick reminded his sister. Karla shrugged moodily, scowling at the ground.

"Only because Uncle Rick is in a hospital in Gotham," she replied. "Otherwise I wouldn't be here." She looked around suspiciously, like she was expecting a Talon to drop down and attack her at any minute.

Not that that was necessarily an irrational fear - Dick had seen first hand how the Talons operated, and Karla's terror was not misplace. Still, Dick ignored her complaints and slid the door open, gesturing for her to enter the abandoned photo booth.

"I don't care," he responded. "Stay at the Manor and you'll be fine. Alfred will be expecting you." Karla scowled. "Karly," Dick sighed, begging her to be compliant. "I don't want you to be alone today. Please." Her shoulders slumped, and she nodded, sighing heavily.

"Okay, fine," she muttered, crossing her arms. Dick wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her gently. Karla wasn't big on hugs, but she let him enfold her in a quick embrace before stepping away.

* * *

 **A.R.G.U.S. HEADQUARTERS**

 **April 1, 22:34 EDT**

Paityn looked at the clock nervously. She was chewing her nails, a bad habit that she only returned to when she was _particularly_ stressed. The emotion she was feeling right now could hardly even be classified as stress – that didn't even _begin_ to describe it.

Pacing the medical bay anxiously, Paityn glanced towards Jason Todd. The boy was still unconscious and in A.R.G.U.S. care. Paityn had agreed – somewhat reluctantly – to release Jason to Dick once Zatanna had performed the ritual to restore his soul.

Even though she'd received confirmation from the magician that the ritual could be performed a week ago, the appointment kept on being delayed. First Paityn would have to supervise a time-sensitive mission, then Zatanna would be deployed somewhere halfway across the world. It was a vicious cycle.

Now, however, Paityn was wishing that she'd treated Jason's restoration as a time-sensitive priority as opposed to simply an appointment. Of course, she hadn't realized until too late, but Jason's condition was slowly becoming harder to control.

He kept on waking up – the sedative was no longer strong enough to keep him under for more than a few hours at a time. Jason's body just kept on burning through the doses faster and faster, and when he was concious he was more and more lucid everytime. Not to mention the fact that the sedative they were using was already an extremely strong, extremely _rare_ sedative that they were running out off. Akari was the only person who'd likely be able to control Jason if he were to wake up for real. And she was on a radio-silent mission in Toronto.

Paityn looked at the clock again.

Where was Zatanna?

* * *

" _Recognized: Raptor: B-One-Five."_ Karla stepped out of the Zeta Tube, exiting into the BatCave. Unsurprisingly, it was empty. Bruce was obviously off-world, she'd just left Dick behind, and Barbara was probably still in class.

Shoving her hands in the pocket of her hoodie, Karla walked across the BatCave and plodded up the stairs to get to Wayne Manor above the cave.

When she exited into the entry hall, Alfred was waiting for her. He smiled, dipping his head slightly as she stepped out. When Karla stepped out from the staircase, the metal door slid shut, and the grandfather clock that blocked the entrance to the BatCave automatically moved to cover her tracks.

"Miss Karla," Alfred greeted the teenager. "It is nice to see you again." Karla smiled slightly. Alfred had been a surprise when she'd come to Wayne Manor. After helping raise Bruce, it seemed to take a lot to scare him off, and he'd always been patient with Karla.

"Thanks, Alfred," she replied with a sigh. "It's nice to see you, too." She looked around the hall. Nothing had changed since she'd been there last.

"If you would like," Alfred told Karla, drawing the girl's attention back to the elderly butler. "I was in the middle of preparing dinner. I will call you when it is ready." Karla nodded, glancing at the clock. It was almost five.

"Thank you," she said again. She chewed on her lower lip. "Is Tim here?" Alfred cocked an eyebrow and nodded once. It was no secret to anyone who knew both of them that they didn't get along. Her and Tim's animosity towards each other had started about five minutes after the first time they met.

And yeah, it was her fault.

 _*FLASHBACK*_

 _"_ _Karla?" Bruce called from down the stairs. "Come down!"_

 _Karla was sitting on her bed in her room. She wasn't doing anything. She was just sitting. She hadn't really done much since Jason had died other than patrol. She hadn't really_ wanted _to do much since he died. Still, she got up when Bruce called her._

 _Walking down the stairs, Karla shuffled into the entry hallway where Bruce stood. Next to him was a boy, younger than Karla. He was probably around thirteen years old. The boy looked nervous, and he stared at Karla with wide eyes._

 _"_ _Who's this?" Karla asked, unimpressed. Bruce frowned a little, narrowing his eyes at Karla. He clearly didn't appreciate her tone of voice. Bruce placed a hand on the boy's shoulder._

 _"_ _This is Timothy Drake," Bruce replied. "Tim." Karla sniffed. She could guess why the kid was here._

 _"_ _Your new_ ward _? Or should I say replacement," Karla asked, sneering. She rolled her eyes. "Okay, Bruce. So what?" Tim's face fell, clearly dismayed at Karla's rudeness. Bruce closed his eyes, not out of anger but out of grief. He missed Jason too._

 _"_ _Karla," a new voice warned her. Dick stepped in to the entry hall from the kitchen. "Be nice." He nodded at Tim, smiling gently. "Don't worry about her," he told the younger boy reassuringly. "She'll warm up."_

 _"_ _No, she_ won't, _" Karla snipped. She glared at the boy in front of her. "If_ he's _going to be living here, then he might as well know my personality." She crossed her arms. "You're not going to replace Jason," she told Tim coldly. "Don't even try. And_ don't _try to make me like you. It won't work. Just stay away from me – you'll never be Jason."_

 _And with that dramatic speech, Karla turned to leave._

 _*END FLASHBACK*_

"Yes, miss," Alfred replied, breaking Karla from her reverie. "He is in his room. I believe he is doing his homework." Karla nodded again.

"Okay," she said. "I'll…be in the gym."

* * *

After all the abductees and heroes had received therapy and been questions, a S.T.A.R. Labs employee came and collected the civilian abductees. Black Canary stepped out of the office and looked at the teenage superheroes that remained in front of her. Blue Beetle looked up at the elder hero.

"You five can feel free to do whatever, just as long as you stay on the facility grounds," Black Canary informed the Team members. "Call your families again, call your friends. Get some food or some rest, whatever. Just don't leave." With that, she nodded again at the teenagers, and then walked down the hallway. Blue Beetle had seen Captain Atom and Nightwing arrive onto the facility; she was likely reconvening with them.

"Food," Impulse said, his eyes wide and glassy. "Real food." Without another word, Impulse zipped away in a blur. White Canary nodded.

"Food sounds pretty good to me, too," she said, standing up with a sigh. "And we should probably get there before Impulse eats everything." Lagoon Boy and Beast Boy both murmured their agreement, and the blonde looked at Blue Beetle. "Blue?" She asked. "You coming?"

"In a second," Blue Beetle responded. The girl shrugged and then nodded, turning to leave. The other two heroes followed her down the hallway, towards the mess hall.

Upon making sure he was alone in the hallway, Jaime let his armor be retracted. He realized that he was still shirtless with a mixture of embarrassment and amusement. Reaching into his pants pocket, Jaime pulled out his cell phone. He scrolled through his contacts until he found the one he was looking for.

He'd already spoken to his family; the League and Team had let him and the other Team members talk to their families immediately, but the abductees had to wait until after Black Canary had spoken to them. Jaime thought it was little unfair.

Clicking on the number he wanted, Jaime held the phone to his ear and listened to it ring. She picked up almost immediately.

" _Hey there, stranger_ ," Karla said teasingly. Jaime smiled, his shoulders relaxing. It was good to hear her voice again; Jaime had missed Karla.

It was weird. Jaime had had other relationships before, but none that felt as intense as his current one with Karla. He wasn't sure why.

" _Mensa_ ," Jaime said in Spanish, affectionately. He was amused, but his heart had started pounding in his chest when he heard Karla speak. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves, and Karla laughed.

" _'Idiot,'"_ she translated. " _Clever."_

 _"_ Shut up," Jaime replied, grinning.

 _"_ _Everything okay?"_ Karla asked, suddenly sounding concerned. " _Not to be_ that _person, but…you did kinda ghost me for a while there, mister."_ Her voice was still teasing; there was no malice in her tone.

"I know," Jaime murmured, looking around to make sure no one was listening in. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. " _Yo sé_ , _y_ _lo siento_. I'm sorry. But I have a good excuse. Promise."

" _Well,"_ Karla said. Her voice was soft; she still didn't sound mad or upset. Jaime was relieved - he'd thought for sure she'd _actually_ give him a hard time for hooking up with her and than not talking to her for a week. But she seemed understanding. " _Lay it on me."_ Jaime smiled.

"Right after you left," Jaime told her. "I was goofing off with a friend. I…I did something kinda stupid, and I ended up in the ER." Jaime heard Karla's breath intake, and he rushed to explain further, feeling bad for lying to her. "I'm fine!" he told her. "Really. It's just that when I got home, my parents were furious. I was totally grounded – lost my phone privileges for a week. That's why I haven't called."

" _Don't worry about it,"_ Karla replied. _"I'm just glad you're okay. You - your_ are _okay, right?"_ Jaime nodded, even though he knew that she couldn't see him.

"One hundred percent," he promised. "And I'll be coming to see you soon, hopefully. But right now, I need to go."

" _Okay,"_ Karla said. " _Just let me know when you're in Blüdhaven,"_ Jaime grinned.

"Will do," he replied, letting his armor creep back up and around his body. " _Adios,_ _belleza_."

* * *

The boy was aware of consciousness in the way that someone is aware that they're dreaming. They know, but they can't necessarily control it. He opened his eyes, blinking a few times.

As soon as his eyes opened, the rage filled him. It was like nothing he'd ever felt before – it almost _hurt_. Grunting, he struggled against the bonds that held him tied to the bed. He wanted - he needed - to get out of here.

Who was keeping him here? Who was keeping him tied down?

Wherever here was, that is.

The boy looked down at his bonds. They were handcuffs. Instinctively, he reached his fingers around, looking for something to pick the lock with. But he had nothing. Growling in frustration, he tugged at the handcuffs again.

Squeezing his thumb all the way forward and then backward, the boy waited until he heard a crack, and then felt the resulting pain rush up his arm. The pain didn't bother him; it was nothing compared to his burning anger.

Once he had dislocated his thumbs, he was able to pull his hand free of the metal cuff. He looked down at the needle in his arm and moved to grab it. As he wrapped his fingers around the IV line, someone shouted. He looked up.

"Jason," the person was saying. It was a blonde woman with - were those wings coming out of her back? She was smiling at him, but there was a wary expression in her eyes. Next to her was a woman wearing a white jacket – she was holding a syringe. Surrounding the two women was a group of people dressed in espionage gear.

"I know you're confused," the blonde woman said. She held a hand out to him, as thought he was a dog that needed placating. "You're going to be fine. You just need to trust me and let me give you this sedative. Okay? I just need to – "

The boy – Jason? Was that his name? – wasn't sure what he was doing, exactly, but he ripped the IV from his arm. Before he knew it, he was across the room, punching the woman. She was stronger than she appeared, but she still felt pain. Jason didn't, not really. That was his advantage.

"Don't shoot!" she ordered from the ground as Jason steamed past the group of agents. "Do not shoot!" Jason ignored the shouts from behind him, and ran through the building that these people were keeping him in.

Before he knew it, he had found himself in front of a machine of some kind. It was a giant tunnel that ended about seven feet deep. Something about it was extremely familiar.

Blinking, Jason walked forward. He stepped into the tunnel, and the machine beeped around him. A keypad turned on, and Jason looked at it. There was a list of locations that came up.

Jason's eyes fell on one location that seemed particularly familiar. He clicked on it, and the machine beeped again.

 _"_ _Authorization required to Zeta to BatCave,_ " the machine informed the boy. Jason frowned. " _Standby, scanning…Authorization Granted. Recognized: Robin: B-One-Four."_

* * *

"Bye," Karla murmured into the phone. "Jaime." He hung up, but Karla stood there for a moment longer, a stupid smile stretched across her face. She lowered the phone from her ear and slid it back into her pocket. She'd just left dinner – an awkwardly silent one with just Tim – and had been heading back up to her room when Jaime had called.

Normally, Karla would have retreated to the safety of her room before accepting the call, but she had wanted to talk to him. She was worried about him – and all the others, too. She'd already spoken to Sara on the rescue mission, but Raptor couldn't talk to Jaime to way she could to Sara. Only Karla could.

" _Jaime_?" a voice repeated. Karla froze, and she turned around slowly. Tim was standing at the other end of the hallway, like he'd just come up the stairs. His arms were crossed tightly across his chest, and he was glaring at her.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked him, cursing herself for not being more attentive. Tim's eyes narrowed further at her accusatory tone.

"Long enough to understand what you're doing," he told her coolly. He stalked forward, glaring at Karla. "I can't believe you." Karla rolled her eyes, her defenses going up.

"Oh, _please_ ," she spat, shaking her head in disgust.

"Excuse me?" Tim asked, his voice cold. "'Oh, _please?'_ Believe it or not, Karla, this is actually kind of a big deal. It's not only irresponsible and an endangerment to our secret identities, but it's also unfair to Jaime." Tim scowled again. "You shouldn't be doing this."

"What, jealous?" Karla muttered. She rolled her eyes, sniffing derisively. "Just cause you're too much of a prude to do something with anyone – "

"That is so _not_ the point!" Tim shouted, his face going red. He stepped forward, and Karla had to lean up slightly to look at him, as he was taller than her. "Jaime happens to be my _friend_ ," he told her. "I don't want you hurting him." Karla rolled her eyes.

"It's fine," she told him, her voice tight and clipped. On the outside, she was irritated with Tim and his accusations, but on the inside, she was stewing with guilt. Tim was reinforcing all the guilty thoughts she'd had about her and Jaime's relationship.

"No, it's not," Tim replied. He straightened his shoulders. "Dick's coming for patrol tonight. I think you should tell him." He raised an eyebrow at her in a challenging manner, and Karla's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not talking to Dick about this," Karla replied definitively. Her mind would most _definitely_ not be changed on that matter. Tim shrugged, like _oh well_ , and turned away.

"Well," he said, flippantly. He'd been expecting this - he wanted it to go this way. "I guess I will, then." Karla's eyes widened with shock, and she grabbed onto Tim's shoulder, pulling him back to face her.

"Don't you dare," she hissed at him through clenched teeth. Tim didn't even flinch. "Drake – " she began.

"Let go of me," Tim told her icily.

"Don't tell him," Karla warned the boy. "Leave this part of my life _alone."_

"Let go of me!" He struggled out of her grip and shoved her, hard. Karla reeled backwards, her back slamming against the wall hard enough to make her grunt. She was temporarily stunned by the blow, and she stated at Tim in disbelief.

Tim's eyes were stretched wide with chagrin. It was clear that he hadn't meant to push her that hard, or maybe even push her at all. A bigger person would have let it go, but Karla wasn't a bigger person.

She lunged forward, tackling Tim to the ground. Even though he was younger, Tim was bigger and slightly stronger (biology sucked), but Karla had more experience.

Not to mention the fact that she was angrier than he was.

Wrestling Tim, Karla pinned him to the ground. He struggled underneath her, his teeth grit in concentration. When Karla let go off his wrists with one hand, probably meaning to punch him across the face, Tim reared upward and shoved her off.

Karla landed on her back, and Tim scrambled to his feet. Before he could do anything more, Karla swept her foot out, knocking Tim's feet from below him. Tim fell, landing awkwardly on his shoulder, and Karla was leaning over him again.

Karla raised her fist, but before she could land a blow, someone grabbed her arm. Struggling against the person, Karla was surprised to realize how strong they were - she'd thought it was Alfred. Dick planted his feet and dragged Karla backwards, scowling hard.

"What the hell is happening here?" he almost shouted. Karla leaned against the wall, her arms crossed petulantly over her chest. Dick pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.

"It was – " Tim began. Dick held up his hand.

"I don't _actually_ want to hear it," Dick snapped. Tim's eyes widened. He wasn't used to being scolded by anyone, much less by easy-going Dick. Dick rubbed his hands over his face. "You guys really just can _not_ get along, can you?" Neither teenager answered, and Dick sighed. "That's it," Dick decided, turning away. He shook his head in disappointment. "You're benched. _Both_ of you."

"What?" Tim cried in dismay. He shook his head, and scrambled to his feet, holding his hands out. "Dick, you need us!" he said. "With Bruce off-world – "

"Batgirl will have to manage for one night," Dick responded. "I have to attend to other business, unfortunately. If there's a true emergency I'll tell her to call for backup, but unless that happens you _will_ stay here. I don't think either of you are operating with clear enough heads to be in the field tonight."

"Personally, I feel great," Karla muttered from where she was still perched against the wall.

"Save it, Karla," Dick snapped at his sister. Karla dropped her head, scowling. Dick cast one last, disappointed look over his brother and sister and then descended down the stairs, shaking his head. Tim glowered at Karla.

"Coward," he muttered. Turning around, Tim stomped down the stairs, heading towards the BatCave. He needed to beat something up.

* * *

After about twenty minutes of alternatively being angry with Tim and feeling bad about the way she'd reacted, Karla gave in to the angel on her shoulder. She would apologize. Sighing, Karla left her room and headed down the stairs. Alfred was coming out of the kitchen when she reached the bottom level.

"Ah, Miss Karla," he said. "I was just about to call you. I prepared some dessert; I was wondering if you would care for some? I'm about to leave for the grocery store." Karla smiled at the elderly butler.

"Maybe in a little, thank you Alfred," she replied. "I…is Tim in the gym?" Alfred paused to think.

"I believe," he said after a moment. "That Master Tim is in the BatCave, using the training gym below." He raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?" Karla shifted uncomfortably.

"I – I think I need to apologize to him," she muttered under her breath. Alfred's eyebrows shot up, and he nodded, a small, pleased smile crossing his face.

"Very good," he replied. He leaned over and grabbed his hat from the coat rack, putting it on his head. Just before he left, he turned and looked at Karla sternly. "Please keep in mind, Miss Karla," he told her. "That blood does stain substantially. I would prefer if you and Master Tim could work this out with words, not fists." Karla smiled bashfully.

"I'll do my best, Alfred," Karla promised, walking towards the entrance to the BatCave.

Despite having fought with Tim, Karla was strangely proud of herself. Weird, yes, but she had a reason.

When she'd been fighting with Tim, she'd been in control. She'd been angry, but she hadn't once lost her concentration. She hadn't once reverted to _Raptor_ 's thinking, much less the Talon's. So yeah, she was a little proud. Her control was better than she had originally thought.

When she descended the steps, Karla realized something was wrong. She couldn't hear Tim, which was odd if he was training. She should be able to hear his hands against the punching bag, at the very least.

"Hey, Drake?" she called hesitantly. "Um. Tim?" She stepped further into the BatCave, and her breath caught suddenly. Karla froze, staring at the person across from her.

Karla couldn't breathe. Standing across the Batcave from her was _Jason_. He was alive – well, she'd known that – but he was here. That had to be a good sign. Zatanna must have completed the ritual; Jason was okay!

Karla smiled to herself. That must have been the "other business" that Dick had been referring to. He probably just hadn't wanted to get her hopes up, in case it hadn't worked for some reason or something like that.

"Jason!" she cried his name. She stepped forward, about to hug him, but when he looked up at her a chill ran down Karla's spine. This boy wasn't the friend she remembered. His eyes were wild and unfocused. For the first time, Karla's eyes dragged off his face, and she looked at the ground in front of him, and her stomach dropped.

Tim was lying prone on the floor, his face bloody and his eyes closed. Karla's heart thudded. As she watched, Jason's eyes fell from her back to Tim, and he leaned down, hauling the younger boy up with one fist. Tim's body was limp, but Jason was strong enough to hold him up and punch him with the other hand.

"No!" Karla shouted. She crossed the room in two bounds and threw herself at Jason. She was smaller and lighter than he, but she was strong enough to knock him backwards. She landed easily in front of Tim's body.

Karla spared a glance at Jason. He was down on the ground. Taking his – most likely momentary – distraction in order to check on Tim, Karla knelt next to the Boy Wonder. She noticed with a flash of relief that he was breathing, and that his injuries, while numerous, where mostly superficial.

"You're okay," she muttered to him. Before she could try to check his injuries further, or get him out of the way, Jason had gotten up and had hit her across the room.

Karla landed on her back with a pained grunt. Jason was crossing the stone floor, his hands balled into fists. His hair was wild, sticking up everywhere. His eyes were dark and his mouth twisted into a furious snarl, and he looked altogether insane. Karla shoved herself to her feet.

She and Jason circled each other. Karla was wary, but Jason was simply waiting for his chance to hit her. Although Karla preferred her weapons, she was no stranger to fist fights. She could take down almost anyone, especially if she wasn't holding back.

But this was Jason – her best friend, even if he didn't recognize her, even if he was dangerous. She _would_ be holding back. And Jason most definitely wouldn't be.

Karla made the first move in a desperate attempt to gain the upper hand and make her victory swift and as painless as possible for Jason. She flipped over his shoulder, avoiding his hands that grabbed for her waist as she flipped past him, and grabbed onto his neck.

Planting her feet against the ground, Karla attempted to throw Jason over her shoulders. Actually, she managed to throw Jason over her shoulders, but her grabbed her on his way down and made her lose her balance.

Instinctively curling into a backflip and landing on her feet, Karla landed in a kneeling position, trying to anticipate Jason's next move. Her bright blue eyes tracked him as he got to his feet again.

Karla swallowed hard. He didn't recognize her. But she recognized him, and that made it hard to fight him. When Karla stayed on the ground, Jason walked back over to where Tim lay. The knowledge that Tim would be hurt if Karla didn't do something was what made her get to her feet.

"You're my best friend, Jason," she whispered despite knowing that if he could hear her, he didn't understand. She stepped forward, falling into a fighting stance. Karla's eyes filled with tears as she stared at her friend's back. "And I love you. But I can't let you hurt him."

With that, Karla launched herself forward again. She grabbed his fists and shoved his arms down and outward, holding him as still as she could. Planting on leg firmly for leverage, Karla shoved up with her other knee, slamming her leg into Jason's stomach.

Even though he didn't seem to register pain like a human should, Jason reflexively buckled forward. Karla took advantage of this moment of weakness and twisted, slamming Jason to the ground so that he was on his back.

Throwing her legs over his waist, Karla wrapped her hand around his throat, pushing him into the ground. Using her other hand, she began to hit him across the face. She grimaced as his blood splattered across her fist.

 _Go unconscious,_ she begged him mentally. _Please go unconscious, please…_

Suddenly, Jason stopped struggling underneath her blows. He fell limp beneath Karla, his limbs and head falling flat against the ground. Karla froze, her fists trembling in midair. His struggling hadn't slowed down until it had completely stopped. It wasn't like he'd slowly lost consciousness, it was like he had suddenly… _died._

"No," she whispered, sure that she'd gone too far, sure that she'd killed him. She scrambled backwards. "No," she whimpered. "No, no, please. Jason," she whispered. "Jason!" Someone grabbed Karla, yanking his backwards. She struggled against them, screaming. "Jason!"

"It's okay, it's okay!" A voice shouted. It was Batgirl, she was the person who had grabbed Karla. "We just sedated him." The words were an antidote to the poison burning in Karla's veins, and she fell limp, her muscles slackening. Batgirl let go of her, and Karla slumped to the ground, exhausted. She looked up.

Kneeling next to Jason was Paityn Wren, Dick's friend and former teammate. She was also the head of A.R.G.U.S., and the person who had kept Jason's resurrection a secret for months. Normally, that thought was accompanied with a flash of anger, but now, Karla was too tired to be angry.

"Are you okay?" Batgirl asked Karla as she got to her feet slowly. Karla nodded airily, her head spinning as she staggered forward. She put a hand out, bracing herself against the wall, the other hand clutching her waist.

"'M fine," she mumbled reassuringly, right before passing out and falling flat on her face.

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

 **April 2, 02:37 EDT**

Dick looked at Jason's sleeping form. His face was relaxed as he slumbered; he looked at peace. And he probably was – Zatanna had performed a successful ritual on Jason in a private wing of Gotham General, with the help of her friend John Constantine. Constantine was surprisingly a teenager and not the grown man Dick had been expecting.

From what Dick had gathered, Jason had managed to escape from A.R.G.U.S. Headquarters. Paityn had called Batgirl as soon as Jason had disappeared, and Batgirl had granted Paityn access to Zeta to the BatCave and then Zetaed there herself. Once there, the two girls had found Karla and Jason fighting, and Tim unconscious.

Once Jason was sedated, Paityn had called Zatanna again. The magician had been held up at the Hall of Justice, battling an alien. Once the barrier keeping them trapped in the now-destroyed hall had been taken care of, she came to Gotham right away.

Once Zatanna and Constantine had performed the spell, Dick and Barbara had brought Jason back to the BatCave, where he was now lying in the med bay section. Tim and Karla were both recovering in their rooms in Wayne Manor. Dick was slightly more worried about Jason's condition, and had elected to keep him in the med bay, at least until he woke up.

Approaching footsteps made Dick turn his head. He had been expecting Barbara, but instead Paityn was walking up to him. She cleared her throat awkwardly, putting her hands in her pockets and shifting her weight.

"Um. I'll leave, if you want me to," she told him. "But I just wanted to say – and I really do mean this – that I'm sorry." Dick nodded, looking away. He appreciated the apology, but he wasn't sure that it was enough.

"Thank you," he said. He looked at Jason. "I don't like the fact that you kept it from me," Dick said. "But I'm grateful that you kept him alive." Paityn nodded.

"You're welcome," she replied. "I'm just glad it worked out this way." Something about Paityn's words gave Dick pause. He looked at his old friend, his eyes narrowed.

"Worked out this way," he repeated. "You mean, you would have killed him if it hadn't." Paityn didn't answer, and Dick's shoulders limped. "Fuck, Paityn," he hissed. "Did - did you ever consider it?" he asked her, unsure if he really wanted to know the answer. Paityn laughed bitterly at his question.

"What, putting a gun to his head while he was unconscious?" she asked. She looked away, her face twisted into a sneer. "Slipping a three-drug cocktail into his IV?"

"Well?" Dick asked, resolutely not looking at Paityn. He'd changed his mind. He wanted to know – he needed to know how much his friend had changed. She sighed.

"Maybe," she replied, her voice hardly over a whisper. Dick looked at her. Her green eyes were half-closed, and she looked tired. "I'm glad I didn't."

"I can't believe it," Dick whispered. He closed his eyes. He heard Paityn exhale slowly, and when he opened his eyes, her expression was peculiar.

"That surprises me," she told him. Dick raised an eyebrow. "That you can't believe I wouldn't think about it," Paityn clarified, her eyes dark.

"Why?" Dick asked. He was looking over at Jason again, watching the heart monitor beep reassuringly. It was comforting. He just wished he could tell Bruce somehow.

"Dick," Paityn drew his attention back to her. "I'm not a good person. I was made as a weapon and raised as a spy." Dick shook his head vehemently.

"You're more than that," he protested. "Or you were. I just…expected more from you." Paityn looked at him. Her eyes were surprisingly steady.

"Do you remember the mental exercise?" She asked quietly, referring to the psychic test that the original members of the Team had undergone their first year – a test that they were meant to fail, a test where everyone died. It had turned into a disaster when M'gann had incidentally started controlling the test and accidentally convinced all the Team that the deaths were real. Dick nodded.

"How could I forget?" he muttered, looking away. He remembered how he'd been so broken after the test, when he'd realized that he didn't want to be a person that was willing to give up anything and anyone for the sake of the mission – something that he was doing now.

"My reaction was so different than all of yours," Paityn whispered, not realizing the true reason for Dick's sudden change in mood. "I was…sad when Artemis died in the exercise, and then when everyone else passed but…" she shook her head. "I didn't feel it. Not deeply." Paityn's voice shook slightly. "The mission was the only thing that mattered to me; I'd been raised to expect loss." Paityn sighed. "And now she's gone for real, and I…"

Paityn broke off suddenly, her eyes falling to the ground. She cleared her throat and shook her head.

"Never mind," she said after a moment. "The point is, I've always been like this. And I'm sorry for that." She waited for a few minutes, probably wanting Dick to respond. When he didn't, Paityn shrugged and turned to leave.

"You weren't," Dick said at last. "Always like this, I mean." Paityn snorted incredulously, but Dick shook his head, refusing to back down. "I mean really – what happened to the teenager with bright eyes and a smile?" Dick asked Paityn. He meant it to come out as a joke, but it really just sounded like an accusation. Her shoulders hunched forward, slumping.

"What happened to the thirteen-year-old with the creepy giggle?" she asked him, unmaliciously. She shrugged, her eyes dark and tired. "Dick, we all change. We all grow up. It just depends on how much. How fast." She touched his elbow and traced a line down his arm to his wrist, catching his fingertips. Dick's hand moved to wrap around hers, but she was already pulling away from him. "How apart."

* * *

Tim was faintly aware that his entire body hurt, but the pain felt far away; almost like a dream. But it was getting ever closer as he was slowly drawn back into consciousness. As he woke up, he began to remember. Someone had been attacking him…someone had infiltrated the BatCave…Jason Todd!

Tim shot up with a gasp. He was no longer in the BatCave, he was in his room in Wayne Manor. His brain was slow and took about six seconds to process the pain and then he groaned as it caught up to him. He gingerly raised one hand and pressed it to his shoulder with a grimace.

"Easy," someone cautioned him. "You're going to be sore for a while." Tim grunted affirmatively, and a small hand pressed against his chest. "Lay down," the person ordered. Tim didn't have to turn his head to know who was talking.

"What are you doing here?" Tim griped, closing his eyes again. "Come to mock me for getting my ass handed to me?" Karla snickered next to him.

"Well, it was a spectacular loss," she murmured, unable to resist the jibe. She sat down gingerly on the foot of his bed. "But no, I'm not. And speaking of getting beat up…open your eyes." Tim did as he was told and yelped when he saw Karla's face.

Her left eye was bruised, and her lip was split in three different places. She had a line of stiches above her eyebrow, and her jawbone was bruised purple. Tim winced sympathetically.

She smirked at his expression, and then grimaced in pain when it hurt. He expression made Tim laugh, which in turn then made his ribs ache. He groaned, pressing a hand to his side gently.

"Do I look that bad?" Tim asked her, curious. His voice raspy from pain. Karla laughed slightly, and shook her head. She got up, and grabbed a glass of water from the bedside table. She handed it to him, and he drank from it gratefully before gulping down the pain pills she handed him next.

"Not even close," she told him.

"Then why am I still lying in bed and you're not?" Tim asked. Karla smirked at him, the expression particularly mocking and creepy with her bruised countenance. Tim sighed. "Okay, don't answer that."

"Seriously," Karla said, mostly to herself. "I'm trying here, Tim. At least make it hard for me to make fun of you." Tim rolled his eyes.

"So, why are you here?" he asked again, sidestepping her remark and returning to his original question. Karla shifted uncomfortably, looking down at the ground. She muttered something under her breath, and Tim leaned forward, cupping his ear. "What?"

"To apologize," she repeated more loudly. She sighed. "I'm sorry," she told him, sounding genuinely regretful. "For…not just for tonight, but for being an asshole to you in general." Tim stared at her in shock, and Karla scowled. "What?"

"Is this an April Fool's Day joke?" he asked her. Karla rolled her eyes.

"It's April 2nd, now, actually," she snarked. Tim sat back against the pillows, shaking his head in slow wonder.

"Wow," he said. "I wish I'd gotten that on camera. A true apology from the girl who hates me." Karla scowled again and shook her head.

"Believe it or not." Karla rolled her eyes and looked away. "I don't _actually_ hate you." She shrugged. "I was just a bitch because…well, I don't have a reason, really. I just was. It's easier." She stopped talking, and the silence stretched between her and Tim, long and awkward. Tim cleared his throat.

"Thank you," Tim said. Karla shrugged, standing up.

"Yeah, whatever," she replied. "I'll let you rest." Tim watched as Karla left, his stomach churning as he debated whether or not to call after her. He decided to.

"Karla," Tim said. She paused at his doorway and turned back. Tim hesitated, not really wanting to break this fragile truce with a sensitive topic. "I know you don't want to hurt Jaime," he said clumsily. "You should – "

"I know," she replied, sighing. "I'll do something. I will."

* * *

Jason sat up slowly, looking around. He was in a medbay – it looked like the one in the BatCave. Jason held his head in his hands, trying to remember what had happened to him, why he was injured.

"Jay?" a voice said. Jason looked up. Dick was standing in front of him. The expression on his face was strange – his eyes were wide with disbelief. Also, Dick looked…taller than Jason remembered, a little older.

"Dick," Jason said. "What happened? Why am I – " Before he could say more, Dick was hugging Jason. He held him tight enough that Jason knew Dick wanted to squeeze him, but loose enough to ensure that the embrace didn't aggravate Jason's injuries. "Okay, what?"

"Sorry," Dick said, pulling back. His voice was gravelly, like he was holding back emotion. "It's just…a lot of things have happened." Dick paused. "What's the last thing you remember?" Jason frowned.

He looked at the sheet, thinking. He remembered tracking the Joker, desperate to prove himself. He remembered being caught, and Harley Quinn and the Joker torturing him. After that…almost nothing. But just _almost_ nothing.

Jason pressed his hands to his eyes, trying to remember. And suddenly, he did.

They didn't make sense, the memories. He remembered Talia al Ghul lifting him out of some pool, the expression on her face stranger. He could _just_ remember wandering around aimlessly. He could remember not being able to remember anything during these times.

And then…Karla's face, bloody and bruised above his as they fought. Another boy, one that Jason didn't recognize, lying on the ground a few feet away.

"Dick," Jason whispered. "What happened to me?"

* * *

 **well that's that.**

 **this chapter...was difficult to write. there were a lot of moving parts, but i like the way it turned out in the end.**

 **that being said - this chapter mostly doesn't follow the plot of one of the episodes, so it really tested my writing. i would LOVE some feedback, whether you loved it or hated it.**

 **please leave a review and let me know what you think!**

 **:) thanks!**


	10. True Colors

**To TeelanaFalcao:** **Obrigado! E sim, ela ficou em silêncio por muito tempo. (so sorry if i butchered that, i used google translate)**

 **To Guest: Thank you!**

 **BraziaRios: :) haha - I know I wrote it, but once again, I relate.**

 **To lovefusions: thank you so much! I'm glad your enjoying the story at that you like Karla.**

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

 **April 2, 15:33 EDT**

Karla tapped her foot against the ground, her leg shaking against the chair. The movement felt weird to the teenage girl. As the Talon and as Raptor, she knew how to be still and silent no matter what the situation. As Karla, she was more hyperactive, a hazy ghost of the little girl who couldn't sit still. It came out the more impatient she was – and she was definitely feeling impatient.

Once Jason had woken up and they'd ensured that the ritual had actually worked, Dick and Barbara had promptly returned to the hospital with him in tow, so that a real doctor could check on him. This, naturally, caused quite a bit of confusion and took a lot of time to clear up, as everyone was under the impression that Jason had died over a year ago.

Then they'd had to fabricate a story about his miraculous reappearance for the press and police, while also trying to skirt around the issue that Bruce Wayne wouldn't be making a journey back from his "extended business trip" to see his resurrected foster son.

All in all, the day after Jason's reappearance was hectic, and Karla hadn't gotten the chance to see her old friend once his soul had been restored. Needless to say, she was getting antsy. Karla glanced at the clock on the hospital wall again, biting her lip. Jason was only allowed one visitor at a time, and only for fifteen minutes each. Dick was currently in the room with him.

Dick finally exited the hospital room, and Karla shot to her feet, raising her eyebrows. Dick smiled slightly at her obvious eagerness and nodded his head. He glanced back at the room.

"Yes," he answered her unasked question. "You can go in now." Dick watched with a sad fondness as a broad grin stretched across Karla's face. Her blue eyes were wide and hopeful as she walked towards the room.

As Karla entered the room, she could hear Dick asking a doctor how much longer she thought Jason would be in the hospital for. Normally, Karla would have been interested in hearing when Jason could go home, but at the moment she was more interested in actually seeing him.

Jason looked up as Karla entered the room. A smile crossed his face, making his split and bruised lip twinge uncomfortably. Karla stopped suddenly, staring at her friend. Jason studied her, a little sad. She had grown since the last time he remembered seeing her – she was slightly taller (but still short), and her hair was longer. Jason also noticed with chagrin that her face was bruised and beat up from their fight.

"Ouch," Jason said. He managed another weak grin. "Did I do that?" Karla's mouth twisted, her eyes shining. Before Jason knew it, she had crossed the room and thrown her arms around his neck, pressing her forehead into his shoulder. The position they were in made it difficult for Jason to raise his arms to hug her back. Instead, he managed to lift his chin and press a kiss to her temple. His lips were chapped, and they brushed her skin roughly. "Hi," he murmured.

Karla lifted her head again and sat back. She settled onto the side of his bed, holding herself gingerly, as though she was afraid of hurting him again. She leaned over and wrapped her hands around one of his, squeezing tightly.

It took a lot to make Karla cry, so Jason wasn't sure if he should feel touched or sad when he saw that her eyes were sparkling with tears.

* * *

 **STAR CITY**

 **April 4, 20:19 PDT**

Sara and her friends were gathered in the basement of Rip's house, as per usual. It was the first time they'd gotten together since they'd found out that Nate was okay, and the mood reflected that.

In the past few weeks, the surface emotions of the group had been as they usually were, but in the silences, there was a heavy, unspoken sadness – the absence of Nate. Now, even though he wasn't actually there, the knowledge that he was okay was comforting to the group of friends.

On Ray's insistence, the group had agreed to have a _Star Wars_ marathon. To Sara's dismay, the majority of her friends had argued that that meant starting on _The Phantom Menace._ Upon Sara and Mick's protesting that the prequel trilogy was terrible, Ray had replied: "It's not about the questionable _quality_ of the movies, it's about the marathon. A marathon is a marathon. We have to watch them all." Six hours later, they had just finished up _Attack of the Clones._

Sara yawned, stretching her arms over her head. Usually she wasn't tired this early in the evening, but getting abducted by aliens really had taken a toll on her. She was exhausted. Her phone buzzed against her thigh, and Sara pulled it out to check her messages.

 _Dinah: Can you come to Ollie's?_

Sara frowned. She wasn't sure exactly why Dinah was asking to see her. She'd been excused from patrols, and it wasn't even close to her curfew yet. But nonetheless, Sara texted back a quick 'yes.'

"Sorry, guys," Sara said, standing up and stretching again. She arched her back like a cat, listening to the satisfying cracking noise. Her friends looked up at her as she spoke. "I have to go."

"Aw," Ray commented, sympathetically. "Only two hours and twenty minutes until the good part, too!" Sara laughed, rolling her eyes affectionately.

"Yeah, too bad," she replied, only partially joking. "See you guys later." Her friends chorused good byes as Sara headed up the stairs.

When she got outside she headed over to where she'd parked her car. Rip had a huge parking lot – honestly, he had a huge house. More precisely, he had a huge _mansion_. And Sara _still_ hadn't seen any parents around - she had no idea where the money was coming from.

Sara climbed into her car and started the engine. The sun had set about an hour ago, and the stars twinkled merrily in the indigo sky. Sara rolled her windows down, enjoying the warm spring air as it swept through her car and lifted her hair around her shoulders.

The drive to Ollie's was short – he had Rip lived in the same ostentatious neighborhood, but on opposite ends. Besides, the mansions were big enough that it would still have been a hike if she had walked.

Sara pulled her car into Oliver's huge driveway and stepped out. Her boots crunched against the gravel, and as always, the sound of grinding rocks made Sara cringe. Grimacing, she hopped forward, getting to the grass of Oliver's lawn as quickly as she could. As Sara walked up the front steps, the door opened. Dinah smiled at her.

"Hey," she greeted her sister, hugging her. "Thanks for coming." Sara nodded, a little confused.

"What's up?" she asked, still wondering why her sister had called her there. Something occurred to her, and Sara's eyes popped open. "Oh my god, did Oliver propose?" She grabbed Dinah's hand and then pouted when she saw that there was no ring on her finger. "Dammit." Dinah laughed, wrapping an arm around her sister's shoulders and walking her towards the living room.

"Oliver's not even _here_ ," a familiar voice said teasingly. "I can see that your Dad's detective skills aren't hereditary." Sara looked up, and grinned when she saw Roy. She crossed the room, hugging the older male. Roy smiled fondly, touching the back of Sara's head in unmistakable affection. "Hey, kid."

"Why am I here?" she asked, looking around. The only other person in the living room was Jade, Roy's ex-wife. Or maybe not ex-wife, considering the fact that she was here. "Hi, Jade," Sara said, a little cautiously. She didn't know the assassin well. "What are _you_ doing here?" Jade smiled.

"Sara," she replied, nodding her head in greeting. Jade was holding her arms oddly, like she was cradling something. "I'm just here to drop this one off before going on a business trip in Mongolia." Sara frowned, about to ask who Jade meant, and then the assassin turned. Sara's eyes widened when she saw the bundle in her arms.

"Is that a baby?" Sara cried. She stepped forward to get a better look, leaning over. The child was a girl, and although some of her features were unmistakably Jade's – the shape of her nose and lips, and her skin tone, her hair was the same shade as Roy's was. " _Your_ baby?" Sara added, staring at Roy and Jade with huge eyes.

Roy laughed. He walked over to Jade, holding his arms out. Jade passed him their daughter, and Roy looked down at the baby in his arms with a fond smile on his face. He looked more relaxed and happy than Sara had seen him in – well, _ever._

"So Jade tells me," Roy replied, lightly. "Sara," Roy said, turning towards her. "This is Lian Harper." He carefully held the baby out to the blonde teenager, and Sara accepted the bundle carefully. She sat down on the armchair next to her, rocking the baby gently in her arms. Lian yawned, opening her eyes.

To Sara's surprise, she didn't cry when she saw the stranger holding her. Instead, Lian wriggled, freeing one chubby hand from her blanket cocoon and reaching out as if to touch Sara's face. Lian gurgled happily, which made Sara coo.

"She's fucking adorable," Sara said, looking up at Roy and Jade with a grin. Dinah clicked her tongue disapprovingly from behind Sara.

"Language," she chided her younger sister. Roy laughed.

"Don't worry about it, Dinah," Roy reassured the older woman. He looked at Jade and raised an eyebrow. "She already seems to take pleasure in witnessing extreme violence. I don't think Sara's swearing is going to corrupt her."

"Still," Dinah replied. "It's the principle of it."

"Okay," Sara interrupted, looking up at the adults in the room again. "Not that I'm not super happy for you, Roy, and Jade, and not that I'm not super excited to meet this adorable child, but is this why I'm here?" Roy sighed. He walked over to Sara and took Lian back from the younger girl, rocking his daughter back and forth.

"No," Roy replied. "Ollie's at the hospital, checking the real – " Jade and Dinah both glared at him, and he sighed. "The _original_ Roy Harper out. They should be here in a few minutes."

Sara's eyes went wide, her heart pounding. She nodded slowly, trying to put her thoughts in order. She was going to see Roy - the original Roy again. She was super excited, but she didn't want to hurt the other Roy's feelings.

Before she could manage to do completely think any of this through, she could hear a car pulling up in the driveway. The tires crunched over the gravel, and she cringed again.

"Ugh," she said, her shoulders tensing. Jade looked confused when Roy and Dinah laughed at Sara's reaction.

"She has issues with the sound gravel makes," Roy explained to his wife. Jade nodded slowly, looking faintly amused.

"It's disgusting," Sara defended herself, shuddering. "It's all… _ugh."_

"You are so weird," Dinah said affectionately, reaching over and running a hand through her sister's blonde hair. The door opened, and footsteps sounded in the hallway. Sara shot to her feet, stepping forward expectantly. Before she could run to greet the two men, Oliver yelled into the house.

"Dinah!" he shouted towards the living room. "Way to leave the door unlocked." Dinah rolled her eyes.

"Please," she called back. As she spoke, Oliver was walking towards the living room. Trailing just behind him was the original Roy Harper. "Even if someone _did_ have the nerve to rob the house while people are clearly there, I think the four of us could handle it." Oliver rolled his eyes and leaned over to kiss Dinah hello.

Sara looked at Roy as he walked into the room. He had the same permanent scowl that the other Roy did, and obviously they looked extremely similar. There were differences, of course. This Roy was physiologically younger than his clone, and he'd also buzzed his hair into a shadow across his scalp. His right arm was missing from his elbow down, and in its place was a metal arm.

Roy looked around the room. He nodded at the other Roy and Jade and gave Dinah a small smile. Then his eyes landed on Sara, and he frowned. It was clear that he didn't recognize her as the nine-year-old girl he'd probably been remembering. Then his eyes widened as he realized who she was.

"Sara?" he asked, sounding wary. She nodded slowly, still staring at the original Roy. She tilted her head. "What?" he asked, sounding a little bit irritated and a little bit nervous.

"Huh," Sara replied. She grinned and lifted her chin in a playfully superior attitude. "I'm older than you now."

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **April 8, 09:02 EDT**

Raptor crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the television screen. She hated this _G. Godfrey Gordon_ reporter, and wished death upon anyone willingly and un-ironically watched his show.

Why was she watching it? Well, it was part of the mission briefing.

" _Meanwhile_ ," the 'reporter' was saying. " _Earth's_ true _benefactors, the Reach, have been working openly and without fanfare to better all mankind. Exhibit A: LexCorp Farms, where the Reach has partnered with noted philanthropist Lex Luthor to increase food production. LexCorp and the Reach are even allowing public tours. Trust, openness and the end to world hunger! Now why didn't the Justice League think of that?"_

Raptor scoffed, rolling her eyes. Before she could punch the screen, Nightwing paused the video feed. He turned to the group of assembled Team members, his face grave.

"Obviously any partnership between the Reach and Lex Luthor is bad news," Nightwing said. "So Alpha Squad is going undercover to recon LexCorp Farms." Nightwing glanced around, and his eyes fell on Robin. He nodded at his younger brother. "Robin," he said. "You'll be running Alpha." Robin's eyes widened, and he stared at Nightwing.

"Me?" he asked, sounding surprised. "Run Alpha?" He glanced at Raptor, probably expecting her to protest. But she didn't.

Despite the pang that went through her when her brother handed leadership to Robin instead of her, Raptor nodded at Robin in what she hopped was a reassuring manner. Either way, it seemed to be enough because he nodded back, turning towards Nightwing once more.

"Uh, right," he said, sounding more put-together. "Who's on the squad?" Nightwing smiled.

"Blue Beetle," he began. No sooner than had his name had left Nightwing's mouth than was Blue Beetle recoiling and protesting.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Beetle argued, holding his hands up and shaking his head. "I should not be in the field, _ése._ What if the Scarab goes all 'Reach-Apocalypse' on us?" Nightwing stepped forward, walking up towards the distressed teen.

"Your Scarab has had multiple opportunities to betray us," Nightwing responded in a reassuring manner. "It hasn't. And right now," Nightwing reached out and placed his hand on Blue Beetle's shoulder. "It's connection to the Reach could be out best shot at identifying what they're up to." Blue Beetle nodded slowly, and Impulse zipped up, cutting between him and Nightwing.

"Well, if Blue's going," the speedster declared. "I'm going!" Nightwing smiled.

"I assumed as much," he replied, sounding amused. He looked over at his sister. "Raptor is also on the squad," he announced. "As is White Canary. And last but not least," Raptor turned around when she saw Nightwing's gaze fix on someone in the corner. She raised her eyebrows as she saw White Canary leading a boy with buzzed red hair forward. "Arsenal," Nightwing said, nodding at the boy.

Raptor appraised the newcomer critically. He was clearly the original Roy Harper. He was carrying a lot of weapons - different guns and blasters slung on his belt and across his back. Even one of his arms was a weapon.

Raptor also took note of the way he and White Canary stood. The girl was standing slightly in front of him, in a slightly protective manner. Arsenal didn't look like someone who would want to be protected, but he didn't seem annoyed by White Canary's hovering presence. Raptor was guessing they were still close, despite the time that had elapsed since they'd known each other.

"If he's coming," Raptor said, looking at his load of weapons with a cocked eyebrow. "He's going to have to travel a lot lighter." She looked at her Arsenal, her chin rising. "We don't want to cause a scene." Arsenal's eyes narrowed, but before he could say anything, Sara placed a hand on his arm, quieting him with a look.

"Raptor's right," Nightwing agreed. "That goes for everybody." He looked around. "Any questions?"

"Just one," Arsenal said. His voice was low, and bitter-sounding. Arsenal glanced around the warehouse, scowling. "Why are we meeting in this _dump_?"

"Roy," White Canary muttered, warningly. She gave him a look, which he pointedly ignored. Nightwing scowled at the younger hero, clearly not appreciating the boy's forwardness and lack of tact.

"With the Cave and the Hall of Justice destroyed," Nightwing said pointedly. He crossed his arms. "We don't have many other options." Arsenal snorted, clearly not satisfied with the leader's answer.

"Except the Watchtower," he reminded the group of heroes snidely. "Now that it's on national news, you can't pretend it doesn't exist."

"Only Justice Leaguers and _senior_ members of the Team are authorized to enter for the Watchtower," Nightwing told Arsenal, narrowing his eyes. "You don't qualify." If possible, Arsenal's scowl got even more pronounced.

"Good to know where we stand," he muttered, not dropping his gaze. It was clear that Arsenal enjoyed a challenge. Nightwing rolled his eyes beneath his mask and turned back towards the squad he'd assembled.

"Get changed into civvies," he ordered Alpha Squad. "Then get going." As the group of teenagers melted away, White Canary elbowed Arsenal in the ribs, hard. He grunted.

"Jeez, you have bony elbows," he complained, rubbing his side. Canary ignored his comment, glaring at the redheaded hero.

"Way to make a first impression," she muttered, shaking her head disapprovingly. Arsenal sniffed, looking away.

"Whatever," he muttered.

* * *

 **SMALLVILLE**

 **April 8, 16:38 EDT**

"Please remain seated at all times the train is in motion," the overly cheerful guide chirped from the front of the train. Her voice was projected through the speakers in each car. As the vehicle sped along the farm towards the closed greenhouse, Sara leaned over to Raptor.

"What the hell happened to your face?" Sara whispered to her friend. Raptor groaned, reaching up and touching one of the bruises gently. She winced; they were still tender.

"Long story," she replied. Sara snorted, observing the other girl's profile. The bruises were healing, but they still marred her normal appearance, even with the sunglasses.

To be completely honest, Raptor was glad for the bruises. She'd realized belatedly that she was dressed in similar attire to what she'd worn when she'd gone to see Jaime in El Paso. Which made sense, because pretty much all she owned was practical clothing – solid colored t-shirts, jeans, and bomber jackets.

But still, she was worried that Jaime would recognize her before she could come clean to him about what she'd done. She'd told Dick a few nights ago, and while he'd been supremely unhappy with her, he'd agreed that it was the right thing to do. And if she was careful about it, Raptor could handle the situation in a way in which there would be no other secrets revealed except her own.

For one thing, Karla Grayson wasn't an uncommon name, and it wasn't like she was a public figure. While people recognized the name Bruce Wayne, most people didn't really know who Dick Grayson or Tim Drake were outside of Gotham. Besides, Karla was even less associated with Bruce Wayne, than Dick or Tim, so it was less likely that Jaime would put the pieces together.

Regardless, Raptor was glad that the healing bruises would give her _that_ much extra coverage and distance herself _that_ much more from being Karla until she could get Jaime alone.

The train stopped, and Sara stood up, hoping off the side. Raptor followed her friend, regrouping with the boys. The guide waited until everyone had gotten out of the train before starting the tour.

"We've just entered one of the farm's hydroponics domes," she announced, still sounding overly chipper. "Where LexCorp and the Reach are growing the food of the future." She spread her arms out wide, like she was trying to encompass the whole place in her arms. Raptor glanced around furtively, making sure no one was watching. Once she was sure that the group was focused on the tour, and that the guide's back was turned, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a few sensors.

She opened her hand, letting them drop onto the floor. When they hit the ground, the sensors automatically rolled off in different directions, attaching themselves to different parts of the wall. As the group walked forward, she dropped a few more sensors. These motion sensors were more tech that she'd appropriated from the Court. But, hey – they were useful.

The elder gentleman next to Raptor grunted, and she tensed, thinking that he'd noticed what she was doing. To her relief, he was looking at the guide, not her. He seemed a little concerned.

"This could put the rest of Smallville's farmers out of business," he protested, crossing his arms. The guide shook her head, her green eyes shining.

"No, no," she reassured the older man. "Not at all! The Reach plans to share their techniques with the entire agricultural community!" With that statement, she turned around, leading the group over to a set of tables. Each table had a heaping plate of fruits or vegetables on it. "Please, everyone, enjoy your choice of these new vitamin-rich, Reach-enhanced produce!"

Robin frowned, stepping forward. He reached out to tap on the guide's shoulder, and she turned around. He nodded at the food in front of him.

"Are these – _genetically_ enhanced?" He asked, nodding towards the heaps of perfect-looking food.

"There's been no tinkering with genes, rest assured," the guide replied brightly. "The Reach have a way of drawing out an organism's full potential." Raptor's eyes narrowed at that statement – it seemed _super_ fishy – but that assurance seemed to be enough for those around her.

Sounds of chewing and exclamations of delight at the taste filled the air. Scowling, Raptor walked over to the table. She picked up a pear, eying it dubiously. It _looked_ normal, but she had no idea what the Reach had done to it. Pulling out a plastic baggie, Raptor placed the fruit inside the bag and sealed it tightly, then hid it in her pocket.

Sara elbowed Raptor, and the dark-haired teenager turned to see what the other girl was looking at. Sara gestured subtlety at the tubes of bright pink liquid surrounding produce growing in tubes. Raptor walked up to the guide.

"What's in those tubes?" She asked, jutting her chin towards the pipes. The guide winked at her, still grinning merrily.

"Just a water, nutrients, and a little Reach-slash-Lexcorp love," she exclaimed. Raptor frowned, about to ask for details. Before she could request specifications, the guide had walked away. She called out to the rest of the group, "Our next stop is the pluot orchard," she told the tour. "That's right! Pluots! In April!" Raptor sniffed, looking over at Robin. He nodded.

"Time for a bathroom break," he said decisively. Bart shrugged, starting to walk off after the guide.

"I went before we left," he said flippantly. Jaime reached out, grabbing Bart by the shoulder and hauling him after the rest of the Squad. Bart yelped. "Dude!" he protested. "They don't have pluots in the future."

* * *

"So," Sara said. Karla turned towards her friend, raising her eyebrows. She hadn't put her mask on yet, and her blue eyes were wary at her friend's tone. "Why are you so…" Sara waved a hand vaguely. "You know."

"Actually, I don't know," Karla replied, looking down as she carefully wound her utility belt around her hips and clipped it into place. She adjusted the katana strapped to her back, looking everywhere but Sara's face. Sara rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I don't know – on edge. Why are you so on edge?" Karla groaned. She hadn't realized she'd been being that obvious. "I knew it!" Sara crowed. "What's going on? Does it have anything to do with you actually being nice to Robin?" She paused. "Or, well, not _-mean_ to Robin?" Karla frowned.

"What? No." Sara sighed, pulling her white jacket on over her uniform. She reached into her belt, making sure that her weapons were there. She ran her hands over her collapsible bō staff. She usually had a few other weapons - stun guns, and a few daggers, but in the spirit of 'traveling lightly' she'd left them behind.

Dinah didn't use any weapons, because she was great at hand-to-hand combat and also had the Canary Cry. Sara, since she didn't have the Cry, had learned to fight with a bō staff as well as eskrima sticks, although she preferred the bō staff. Now that she had the Canary Cry though….

"Dammit," Sara muttered petulantly at Karla's response. "I guess detective skills aren't hereditary." She ignored the weird look Karla gave her and continued. "What's going on?" Karla sighed again. She pressed her hands to her eyes, and then winced when she accidentally jabbed a bruise.

"It's…a long story," she sighed. "I did something really, really, dumb." Sara frowned.

"You?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "Dumb? I don't believe it," Sara said. "What did you do?" Karla opened her mouth, about to tell her friend, and then she groaned, like she didn't want to say it. Karla leaned forward, pressing her forehead against the wall and closing her eyes. "What?" Sara asked again, now insanely curious. Karla sighed.

"I…kind of…started hooking up with Jaime?" It came out like a question and Sara's mouth fell open. "But like – not _me_ ," Karla added. "Like, not Raptor. _Karla_ started hooking up with Jaime. And…I don't know, now I have to tell him that I was lying to him." Karla bit her lip, her blue eyes shining with reluctance. "I don't want to. He's going to hate me."

Sara pressed her lips together. She wasn't sure what to tell her friend – Karla _had_ to tell Jaime; he was going to find out eventually, and it wouldn't be pretty when he did.

"You don't know that," Sara said at last. "I don't think he'll hate you. He might be mad. But give him time, and he'll understand." Sara paused. "Besides, no offense, but does it matter? You wouldn't usually care if someone hated you or not." Karla nodded slowly.

"That's the problem," she mumbled, playing with the domino mask in her hands. "This time I do care."

* * *

 _Robin to Raptor,"_ Robin's voice crackled over the comm. in Karla's ear. " _Get ready to move."_ Karla nodded to herself. She slapped the domino mask over her face, spraying it with the adhesive to make it stick. She didn't love the way it felt, and usually waited until the last moment to put it on.

Raptor stepped out of the bathroom stall, and White Canary stepped out of the one next to her. Her usual pale colored uniform was now dark grey, for stealth mode. Raptor didn't usually use stealth mode – for one thing, her uniform was already mostly black, and for another, she didn't really need it. The Court had taught her well.

Raptor turned towards her friend, opening her mouth to speak. Before she could form any words, she froze as she caught sight of something in the bathroom mirror.

Just beyond Raptor's shoulders were two other girls. One was Karla, dressed in normal civvies, her eyes large and sad. The other was her as well, but dressed in the Talon uniform, a bloody dagger in her hand. Raptor's breath caught as she stared at the other two versions of herself, momentarily petrefied.

"Raptor?" White Canary reached out, touching her friend's shoulder. Raptor recoiled, her shoulders tensing. Canary stared at her friend, eyes wide. "You okay?" Raptor looked over her shoulder, but the two images were gone.

 _Great,_ she thought, rubbing her eyes. She was hallucinating again.

"Fine," Raptor said aloud, shaking her head. "Let's go."

The two girls left the bathroom, Raptor leading the way. The younger girl looked both ways cautiously to make sure that the coast was clear before stepping out in to the hallway. Robin peeked out of the other door before walking out himself, the other three boys following him.

Raptor reached into her belt, pulling out her mini projector. She touched a few buttons and then held it up, so it could scan the room for cameras. Some of the cameras were on clear display, but others could be hidden – there was no such thing as being too careful.

"Got them?" Robin asked, looking up from his own work. He was leaning against the wall, hacking into the motion and heat sensors to disable them. Raptor hummed affirmatively.

"They're not connected," she said, analyzing the schematics that the tool was projecting. Her eyes narrowed behind her domino mask, and she slid her finger against the three-dimensional diagram, spinning it around so that she could see the whole thing. "I can't create a virus to knock them all out at once."

"Which means…what, exactly?" Blue Beetle asked. Raptor reached into her belt again, not looking at the teenager. She focused on Arsenal instead as she pulled out a few cylindrical tools.

"These will create an electric charge and reroute a few wires, wiping the cameras," Raptor replied, still not looking at Blue Beetle. "Can you shoot them?" Arsenal smirked and grabbed the charges.

"'Course," he replied. He pulled out a crossbow, carefully screwing the devices onto the ends of the arrows. Leaning around the corner, he aimed at one of the cameras and shot. The arrow embedded itself into the wall next to the camera. Once Arsenal had shot an arrow at each camera, Raptor pressed down on a detonator in her hand.

At first glance, nothing appeared to happen. On a closer look, however, one could see that a small electric charge had gone off, shocking each camera.

"Is it done?" Robin asked. Raptor glanced down at the schematics in her hand again and nodded. "Good," he said. "I hacked the motion sensors – are the ones you put down functional?" Raptor looked back down at her projector, switching the view of it. Sure enough, her little sensors were sweeping the entire area – both on this level and the one below.

"Is that what those things were?" Canary asked, sounding interested. Raptor nodded. "But they didn't get disabled by – whatever Robin just did?"

"Nope," Raptor said, smirking a little. "These ones are Robin-proof." The Boy Wonder rolled his eyes, and Raptor closed her projector, nodding at him. "Coast is clear." Robin turned to the rest of the squad.

"Alright, Alpha. Let's move out."

Impulse sped away, and Blue Beetle took to the air. The other four un-powered teens jogged after their friends, reconvening with them at a hatch. Raptor consulted with her motion sensor diagram and nodded.

"Two guards, just below us," she warned Robin. "Should be facing towards three o'clock – we're good." Robin nodded, and White Canary leaned down, seizing the handle to the hatch and pulling it up.

Robin led the way, hopping down the hatch and landing in a crouch. He looked around, and his muscles tensed in concern. Standing just a few yards away, as Raptor had predicted, were two armed guards. Luckily, just as she'd said, their backs were turned to the heroes.

As the rest of the squad landed behind him, Robin motioned over his shoulder, silently ordering them to move the other direction before following himself. He brought up the end of the group and the two girls led the way through the winding hallway.

Before long, the squad found themselves in a room with an assembly line of sorts on it. There were three of the Reach working in the lab. White Canary noticed that they were wearing the same kind of outfit that the scientist on board the ship had. They spoke in the same unintelligible, high-pitched clicks.

"What's she saying?" Robin hissed to Blue. Blue didn't answer immediately, listening for a moment longer. Then he turned towards Robin.

"Okay, uh," he began translating. "She's warning her technicians to go easy on the additives?"

"What the hell are the additives?" Canary muttered from where her back was pressed against the metal racks. She and Arsenal were watching the squad's six, making sure that there was no one coming.

"Just a sec," Blue responded. His eyes glowed orange for a moment, and then pointed to two different bins, both filled to the brim with the substance. "That's it," he said, nodding. "That's your additive." Raptor and Robin exchanged a look.

"They look the same," Robin whispered to Raptor.

"Don't take any chances," Raptor replied, and Robin nodded tersely. Without another word, both of the Bats disappeared. Raptor winced when she heard Blue Beetle exclaim upon noticing their absences, but none of the Reach appeared to overhear.

Raptor took cover behind one of the bins of additive. She waited until the Reach scientist and turned her back and then popped up, grabbing one of the additive pods. Stowing it in her belt, she moved silently and quickly back to the cover of the shelves. Robin got there just before her.

"Got what we came for," he told the squad. "Let's go." Robin led the squad out of the room and started down the hallway. They hadn't gone more than twenty yards when White Canary stopped.

"Wait," she said, looking around. "Where's Roy?" Raptor paused, doing a silent headcount. Sure enough, the redhaired teenager was missing.

But before any of them could panic, or double back to look for him, Arsenal came running up behind them. He looked oddly self-satisfied. Canary frowned, cuffing him around the head as he came to a stop.

"Where were you?" she snapped as the squad continued forward. Raptor didn't concern herself with Arsenal's muttered response, instead focusing on the blueprints in front of her that would lead them back outside, as well as making sure that there were no guards in their way via the motion sensors.

"Left," she told Robin, and he followed her instructions, turning at the next split in the hallway. As Raptor watched the hologram, two blips appeared on the screen in the hallway perpendicular to them – the one Robin was just about to run into.

Cursing herself for not being more attentive, Raptor reached out and grabbed Robin by the back of his cape and yanked him back against the wall. Robin choked as she yanked him backwards by his cape, and she had to stifle a laugh. The rest of the squad followed suit, pressing up against the wall. The guards passed by the group of heroes, none the wiser to their presence.

Robin rubbed his throat where the cape had yanked against it, scowling at Raptor pointedly. She grimaced, feeling a little sheepish, and yet still a little amused.

"My bad," she muttered, double-checking the sensors. "We're good now."

"I hate it when you do that," Robin griped, spinning around and starting down the hallway again. Raptor shrugged, flippant.

"Then don't wear a cape, Wonder Boy." Robin scoffed, shaking his head. "Almost there," Raptor told him. As if on cue, Robin halted. The hatch that they'd come through was just in front of them. Robin took a few steps forward and then jumped up, latching his hands on to the lip of the hatch. He pushed him carefully, shoving the heavy metal lid open so they could get through.

One by one, the rest of the squad jumped back up through the hatch. Once again, they were in the wide open space of the greenhouse.

Robin led the way forward, taking cover behind some of the metal racks. Raptor peered over his shoulder, shutting the hologram down and slipping the projector into her pocket. The only things blocking them from outside were two armed guards and a locked door. In other words – nearly nothing.

"Two guards, one door hack," Robin noted to Arsenal and Raptor. He sounded satisfied, probably due to the fact that he had led a successful mission. "And we're home free." He started forward, as if to leave, but Arsenal placed a hand on his shoulder and drew the other boy backwards.

"Wait for it," he insisted. Raptor frowned, her lips opening. Before she could form her question, it was answered.

Behind them, the hatch that they'd come through blew up, spewing fire and smoke into the open room. And as if that wasn't enough to catch the attention of the guards at the other end of the room – as well as any other person in the facility – an alarm started to blare as well. Robin and Raptor spun around, staring at Arsenal in horror.

"You blew the lab?" Robin snapped. "But this was a covert mission!"

"Roy!" White Canary scolded her friend, reproachfully. She glared at the younger boy. "What the hell were you thinking?" Arsenal sniffed, unbothered by the other's remarks. He shrugged.

"That I'm not about to let Lex Luthor and his alien space buddies poison the whole world just because we don't know exactly what poison they're using," Arsenal replied, his voice icy. He clearly didn't see the problem in what he'd just done. He smirked suddenly, looking amused. "Besides," he continued. "I enjoy making Lex miserable."

"Ugh," Raptor said, shaking her head in disgust. She pulled her holograph projector out again. There was no one coming – for now.

"Impulse," Robin told the speedster, his voice tight. "Take the guards down." The speedster nodded, zipping off in a blur. A few seconds later, Raptor could hear the telling grunts of the guard, signaling that he'd completed his task. Robin sprinted over to the door, trying to get it open before they could get any other _company._

"You just don't get it, do you?" he seethed over his shoulder at Arsenal as he began to bypass the locked door. "You went off-mission," he continued. "That was a _huge_ mistake."

"Funny," a voice called, making Raptor turn around. She tensed when she saw the familiar enemy – it was Black Beetle from the Reach ship. The alien who'd almost single-handedly kicked their asses easily. "I was about to say the same thing." Raptor swore under her breath, shoving her projector back into her belt.

Before she could do more to prepare herself to fight, Black Beetle folded his wings, letting himself drop like a dead weight. Eyes widening, Raptor flipped backwards, landing next to White Canary. She landed in a crouch, and then rose to her feet. Raptor kept her eyes on the alien, wary of his many potential attacks.

Raptor reached over her back, unsheathing her long katana. Next to her, White Canary was pulling out her bō staff, unfolding it to its full length. Raptor watched as Robin attacked Black Beetle. The boy got a few jabs with his electric staff before getting kicked across the room. Raptor narrowed her eyes, analyzing the movements of the alien, and then made her move.

Sprinting forward, Raptor tried to get as close to the alien as possible before she jumped. Gauging the distance, she leapt forward, slashing down with her katana. The blade whistled through the air, slicing across Black Beetle's chest.

To Raptor's surprise, the blade did absolutely nothing – it didn't even leave a scratch on Black Beetle's armor. Raptor's eyes widened, and she stepped back. Black Beetle swept his hand out, swiping Raptor aside easily. She hit the ground like a rag doll, her sword clattering down a few feet away from her.

Impulse ran forward. He was moving too fast for anyone to track his movements. He buzzed around their adversary, zipping between the racks of growing produce before circling the alien again. White Canary watched as Black Beetle scowled, his eyes glowing orange.

She wasn't sure what he was doing, but her question was soon answered. The next time Impulse breezed by, Black Beetle stuck his arm out and threw Impulse across the room. The speedster collided with a rack of tomatoes, and fell forward, groaning.

"I may not be able to move as fast as you, meat," the alien drawled to Impulse. "But my Scarab can process faster than even you can run, let alone think." White Canary eye's widened when she saw him approaching Impulse's prone body.

Without thinking, she ran forward. She raised her bō staff, whirling it through the air and bringing it down on Black Beetle's shoulder. She actually managed to get in a few hits before Black Beetle grabbed her and tossed her backwards. White Canary hit the ground, grunting as the air left her lungs.

Arsenal saw Black Beetle stalking towards Canary and raised his weaponized arm. He shot a missile forward, and it hit Black Beetle in the back. The explosion created enough smoke that, for a moment, none of the heroes could see what was happening. When the smoke cleared, however, Black Beetle was on his feet once more, a smirk plastered onto his face.

Black Beetle turned around, now focusing on Arsenal. The redhead backed up, grimacing. The missile hadn't done what he'd hoped it would do - this guy was a lot tougher than he had originally thought. Before Black Beetle could attack, Impulse shoved himself up.

The speedster knelt down and picked up the squished tomatoes next to him. Standing back up again, he began to hurl them at the alien as fast as he could. Black Beetle scoffed, rolling his eyes as the tomatoes collided with his armor.

"Now that's just a waste of good fruit," he mocked.

"No," Impulse corrected, looking over Beetle's shoulder at Arsenal. The boy had been readying his mechanic arm during the time Impulse had bought him. "That's just a distraction! Ha!" Arsenal raised his arm, and his powerful laser left a gash across Beetle's chest.

Black Beetle grunted, pressing a hand to his chest reflexively. By the time he'd pulled his hand away, the cut was already disappearing, healing itself. He looked up, his teeth pressed together in a furious scowl.

"Any other tricks, meat?" he mocked. Raptor and Robin were both back on their feet, regrouping with Arsenal and Impulse. Blue Beetle was hovering above the battle, and White Canary was pushing herself back up.

"Just a few!" Blue Beetle retorted, returning to the ground. He raised his arm, and his hand turned into a cannon. He directed the blast at the alien, and Black Beetle's entire form glowed red. When he straightened up, he looked perfectly fine.

"Ah…" The alien drawled. "Nothing like a warm plasma bath to calm the nerves…and clean off the tomato stains." He stepped forward again, and White Canary straightened up, opening her mouth.

When Canary opened her mouth, the Canary Cry left her lips. The sonic scream echoed through the chambers, and the wave of the sound hit Black Beetle dead on. The scream was powerful enough to knock over several of the metal racks around, but it hardly made him stumble. He smirked at the human girl.

"Not bad, meat," he told the girl. "But you'll need to do better." Canary scowled, backing up as Black Beetle approached her. She didn't have enough energy to scream again; she should have known that it would require training.

Blue Beetle landed in front of Canary, raising his own sonic cannon. Black Beetle laughed, and simply matched the attack of the hero in front of him. The two blasts met in the middle, causing a blast of light that made Raptor cover her eyes.

"Seriously?" Black Beetle sniffed. "The fruit hurt more." Impulse clenched his teeth, and the speedster zipped forward. He ran in a tight circle around the alien, becoming a black and grey blur. "Trying to suck away my oxygen?" Black Beetle guessed. "I hardly touch the stuff."

"Blue, what gives?" Canary asked, rubbing her neck as she clamored to her feet. She felt exhausted – she was out of breath, her throat was sore and her head was pounding. She hadn't thought that using the Canary Cry would be as draining as it was.

"Yeah," Robin agreed. "Last time you threw down with this guy you were hardcore!"

"That wasn't me!" Blue Beetle protested, looking at his friends. "Scarab was in control." Arsenal scowled, clearly not understanding the problem.

"So, give it control again!" he shouted, spreading his arms. Blue Beetle winced, flinching away. Raptor was guessing that the Scarab was telling him something similar.

"Believe me," Blue Beetle responded darkly. "I'd like nothing better. But I can't risk that! Not with Impulse's prophecy hanging over my head." Raptor scowled, glaring at Black Beetle. She wasn't sure how to fight this guy, and she hated feeling helpless.

As the squad watched, Black Beetle shot Impulse backwards, pinning the boy to the wall with a stapler. Impulse's body slumped forward against the metal pinning him in place.

"Arsenal," Raptor said, her voice clipped and tight. "Your laser."

"She's right," Robin added. "It's the only thing that's done any damage." Arsenal nodded, raising his arm and pointing it at their enemy. The laser caught Black Beetle on the arm, and the alien grunted in pain.

The laser did seem to affect Black Beetle in the sense that it hurt him, but it also only served to make him angrier. He flinched away from the laser, and the gash on his armor sewed itself back up automatically.

Yelling angrily, Black Beetle targeted his plasma cannon at the cluster of heroes. All five of them managed to dive out of the way, or in Blue's case, fly out of the way. Raptor pushed herself back up, her teeth clenched together. She grabbed her sword from her back again and charged forward.

Blue Beetle dropped down next to Raptor, his arm growing into a scythe. Black Beetle's arms also changed into lances, and he caught Raptor's sword and Blue Beetle's weapon at the same time.

"You're just toying with us," Raptor spat at the villain. Her feet slid across the ground as she struggled to match his blow.

"What gave me away?" Black Beetle asked drily. Planting his feet, Black Beetle threw both her and Blue Beetle backwards. Raptor's back hit the wall and her head slammed backwards.

Raptor cried out as her vision went fuzzy and her teeth rattled in her mouth from the impact. She tasted blood, and she realized that she'd bitten down on her tongue. She spat out the coppery tasting saliva and stood up, her vision still a little blurry.

The small explosion from Robin's birdarangs didn't help with Raptor's headache, and she grimaced. When the smoke cleared, she realized that Robin had been creating a small hole so that they could escape.

"Go, go!" Robin cried, waving the squad forwards. Gritting her teeth against the pain, Raptor leapt through the hole, Arsenal and White Canary just behind her. Once she was outside, she realized they were missing Impulse.

As if on cue, the speedster zoomed up, coming to a halt in front of the group. He gestured over his shoulder to the fields behind him. They stretched on for as far as the eye could see, with no foreseeable other option.

"I did a quick recon," Impulse informed Robin. "Want the options? Cornfield or cornfield?"

"Cornfield," Robin replied drily, gesturing forwards. He ran towards the field, probably hoping for some cover against Black Beetle. The others followed him. Raptor jogged towards the front, weaving around the others so she was beside Robin.

"What's the plan?" she asked him, looking over her shoulder nervously. So far, it didn't look like they were being pursued. Robin grimaced.

"We'll double back," he decided as the group made it to a small clearing. He pivoted, about to head in the direction they'd just come from. "Maybe we'll lose him." Raptor nodded, about to agree with Robin when she was interrupted.

"That," Black Beetle replied from above them. "Doesn't seem likely." Raptor grit her teeth again, scowling at the reappearance of the alien. Black Beetle laughed manically, staring down at the cluster of teenagers with a smirk.

A gasp from behind Raptor made her look over her shoulder. Blue Beetle was scrambling back, his eyes wide. When Raptor saw what the other teenager was staring at, her heart dropped.

There was another Beetle behind them – this one dressed in green armor. He was tall and clearly strong, but not as muscle-bound as the other Beetle. Even so, the thought of fighting two Beetles made Raptor sick - they were barely putting up a fight against one.

"Okay," Impulse cried, staring at the Green Beetle in surprise. "How many colors do these guys come in, anyway?" He sounded frustrated, and Raptor didn't blame him. There was no way they were getting out of this one easily. Raptor scowled, pulling out her two short daggers and holding one in each hand.

She, Arsenal, and Robin were all facing Black Beetle, while Impulse, White Canary, and Blue Beetle were facing Green Beetle. The six teenagers were standing back to back, accounting for all potential sides of attack.

"Form up," Robin commanded. "If we go down, we go down fighting."

"I'm betting that sounded way more inspirational in your head," Raptor muttered, tightening her grip on her dagger handles. Robin sighed from next to her, but otherwise ignored her snarky comment.

White Canary shifted her weight, holding her staff in front of her in a defensive stance. Across from her, Green Beetle lashed his hand to his side, his arm turning into the spikey lance weapon. Canary clenched her jaw, bracing herself for an attack.

To her surprise, the attack never came. Instead, Green Beetle launched himself forward and over the heads of the surprised superheroes. He twisted in midair, avoiding the blow from Black Beetle and slashing the other Beetle out of the air. Black Beetle hit the ground in a cloud of dust.

As Raptor watched, shocked, Black Beetle picked himself up and threw himself at Green Beetle, who raised his arm. Following an unspoken command, a piece of earth tore itself up from the ground and threw itself at Black Beetle. The alien managed to catch the rock, and crushed it into dust.

Black Beetle closed the space between him and Green Beetle, bringing his spikey arms down on Green Beetle's. The other Beetle caught the attack, staring defiantly at his adversary.

"Warrior," Black Beetle accused. "You dare attack me? You Scarab rejects are coming out of the woodwork tonight!"

"Better to be a reject than a slave!" Green Beetle replied. His voice was mildly accented, and the lilt of it was familiar: it sounded like the way the Martian Manhunter spoke.

"Uh, this guy?" Impulse spoke up, sounding bewildered at the scene enfolding in front of him. "Not in the history books."

"Then who – or what – the hell is he?" White Canary asked, watching the two Beetles fight. Impulse shrugged. Raptor's eyes narrowed as she watched Beetle turn intangible and then shift into a snake like creature, wrapping his tail around Black Beetle.

"Robin," Raptor murmured to the boy. She was guessing he was the only other one who would be analyzing the situation as she was. "He used telekinesis earlier." The boy nodded – he knew what Raptor was getting at, and he'd noticed it as well.

"Density shifting, shape shifting…all the powers of a Martian except – "

' _Heroes of Earth.'_ There was a familiar tugging sensation that accompanied the mental voice of the Green Beetle. The link felt mildly more intrusive than usual, perhaps because they weren't familiar with the telepath. ' _I established this link to better coordinate our attack.'_

"Telepathy," Raptor finished. She shook her head in surprise. "This guy's a Martian." Robin nodded, agreeing with her assessment.

"The Blue – well, Green – Beetle of Mars!"

"Another alien?" Arsenal asked, sounding irritated – but then, he always sounded irritated. "Do we leave them to duke it out?" As he spoke, Black Beetle blasted Green Beetle back into the cornfields. The blast from the plasma cannon lit the cornfields on fire, washing heat over the young heroes.

' _Move in,'_ Robin ordered, not answering Arsenal's question directly. ' _Blue, frontal assault. Keep Black busy. Impulse, put out the fire. Arsenal, use your laser on the plasma cannon – I want it out of commission.'_ Arsenal nodded, smiling slightly.

' _Right,_ ' he responded. ' _Be prepared to move!'_ Arsenal took off, trying to get a good aim, and Robin nodded at the two girls next to him.

' _Canary, Raptor – with me.'_

The two girls ran after Robin. The Boy Wonder skirted around the back, pulling an explosive birdarang out of his utility belt. Raptor went behind Black Beetle as well, and then flipped over his shoulders. When she flipped onto his frontside, she left two explosives embedded in his armor.

White Canary took a deep breath, readying herself. She hadn't been planning to try the Canary Cry again - she hadn't really been planning on using it all - but, well, desperate times called for desperate measures.

Canary rolled her shoulders back and screamed. The sound ripped up her throat, making it ache, but it had the desired effect. The sonic soundwave hit Black Beetle, shoving him backwards into the explosion that Robin's birdarang and Raptor's explosives had caused.

Arsenal and Robin ran to help Green Beetle, who was still recovering from the flames. Raptor, Impulse, and Canary stood a few yards away, watching Black Beetle warily. For the moment, their enemy was down. Blue Beetle kept on eye on the scene from the air.

As the teenagers watched, Black Beetle rose to his feet once more. Clearly, their combined attack had done him damage – some of his armor had ripped completely away, revealing pale green skin. Still, before their very eyes, the armor regenerated itself completely.

Black Beetle stood up straight, laughing as he watched his armor restore itself. Raptor's eyes narrowed, and she took a step backwards.

' _Was kind of hoping that would have a more lasting effect,'_ Arsenal muttered.

' _You and me both,'_ Raptor replied darkly. From the corner of her eye, Raptor saw someone that made her tense. It was the Talon again, her face covered by the cowl. Still, Raptor could picture the expression of disgust easily. It was her own face, after all.

"Useless," the Talon accused Raptor. Her voice was quiet, but full of bite and contempt for the hero. "There's only one way to end this."

"If you know how to kill him," Raptor muttered back through clenched teeth, ignoring the strange look that Impulse gave her. "I'm all ears." Before the Talon could respond, Green Beetle's voice broke through her mind. Raptor blinked, and the other girl was gone.

' _Your methods are crude, but you have the right idea,'_ Green Beetle told the heroes. He turned towards the air, looking at where Blue Beetle was hovering above them. ' _Beetle of Earth! Fire your sonic cannon at twenty-seven angstroms precisely.'_

' _Um,'_ Blue Beetle replied, sounding hesitant. ' _My Scarab's telling me that tactive will be_ _ineffectual_.' He hesitated, like he didn't want to offend the other Beetle by nixing his idea. _'That's a quote, by the way.'_

 _For one Scarab the tactic would be ineffectual,'_ Green Beetle replied, turning back to face Black Beetle. ' _But tonight, it is not alone.'_ He raised his arm, his gloved hand growing into the cannon. ' _Twenty-seven angstroms: now!'_

Blue Beetle shrugged, obeying Green Beetle's request. He took aim and fired, the attack hitting Black Beetle straight on. Even as the blast hit him, Black Beetle stalked forward, undeterred. The alien laughed, amused by Blue Beetle's attempt.

"Ha!" he gloated. "Tickles." Green Beetle raised his arm, firing his cannon as well. Immediately, Black Beetle's expression changed from mocking to surprised. His face contorted in a grimace and he flinched back, trying to get away from the attack. He grunted in pain, throwing his arms up over his face. As he shouted, his armor tore away from his skin.

Black Beetle fell backwards, finally unconscious. Raptor stepped forward, looking curiously at the alien. Without his armor, he didn't look nearly as threatening. Then again, neither did Jaime.

 _Scarab says he won't be unconscious for long,'_ Blue warned everyone, his voice tight with concern. Green Beetle nodded, looking down at the other alien laying in front of him.

' _That is true,'_ Green Beetle confirmed. Impulse spread his arms and shook his head.

' _Then what do we do now?'_ he protested.

' _Now,'_ Green Beetle replied. His eyes glowed orange, and he put his hand out. Raptor flinched when she felt herself be levitated from the ground. ' _We run!'_

Raptor's breath caught as she rose into the air, the wind tugging at the stray hairs around her face. She wasn't flying herself, of course, but there was nothing beneath her feet. It was better than flying in a plane, better than swinging on a trapeze or a grappling hook. It was indescribable.

Raptor didn't usually smile on missions, but this time she couldn't stop the grin that spread over her face.

* * *

Alpha Squad had set up a rendezvous point with Nightwing and Superboy before leaving. Now, they were gathered there, in the Kent's barn, about a dozen miles away from the LexCorp facility. Green Beetle was with them, and Nightwing and Superboy had also arrived to interrogate the Martian. While the two senior heroes spoke with Mr. Kent, Raptor and the other teenagers gathered around Green Beetle to began questioning him.

"My name," the Martian began. "Is B'aars O'ohm. And obviously, I am of Mars."

"Obviously," Robin agreed. "But it's the Beetle thing that has us wondering." Raptor stepped forward, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Despite the fact that he'd saved them, she couldn't help being suspicious of the newcomer.

"How are you connected to the Reach?" Raptor demanded of the Martian. She didn't trying to sound gentle, but the Martian didn't seem bothered. He turned, looking at Blue Beetle. Green Beetle nodded towards the other armored hero and spoke.

"I imagine my story is not dissimilar to yours," he told the group. "On Mars, I am what you would call an archeologist. Two of your Earth years ago, I stumbled across the Scarab and it attached itself to my person." Blue Beetle huffed, crossing his arms. He seemed amused.

"Yeah," he replied, smirking slightly and rolling his eyes. "That last part sounds familiar."

"From the Scarab," Green Beetle continued, looking back towards Raptor. "I learned of the Reach and their plan for the galaxy." Nightwing walked up, standing in between his sister and Robin to listen to the Martian.

"Millenia ago," Green Beetle explained. "They sent out one Scarab to every plant sporting primitive life. The Scarab bonds with, and takes full control over its native host, giving the Reach an advanced operative for their inevitable invasion." Impulse and Blue Beetle exchanged a look.

"But my Scarab malfunctioned," Blue Beetle said, realization dawning on him. Now he knew why the Reach was after him. "And didn't take full control. That's why the Reach wants to reboot it – by killing me."

"So," Arsenal said, his arms crossed. He looked dubious as well, and that made Raptor like him a little bit better. "Did your Scarab malfunction too?"

"No," Green Beetle replied, shaking his head. "But it was not prepared for the Martian physiology, which allowed for me to take control of the Scarab, instead of the other way around." Nightwing frowned, also crossing his arms over his chest.

"Still doesn't explain how you wound up here," Nightwing prompted the Martian, hoping for a better explanation. Despite the slight hostility being demonstrated towards him, Green Beetle seemed relatively at ease.

"For decades," he began. "The one you call Martian Manhunter has sent communications from your world to mine. Televisions signals." He smiled, like he was remembering something he was fond of. "They are quite entertaining."

"All Martians love television," Robin murmured, smiling slightly. Raptor rolled her eyes, but Green Beetle nodded seriously at Robin's statement.

"Indeed," Green Beetle agreed, before returning to the subject of importance. "But when it became clear that the Reach were on Earth, I believed my assistance here would be required."

Raptor looked over at her brother, raising her eyebrows. Her unasked question was clear: do we buy it? Nightwing lifted one shoulder up ever so slightly - he wasn't sure. He turned back towards Green Beetle, and nodded once at the Martian.

"The Justice League will need to confirm your story," Nightwing told Green Beetle. He spoke matter-of-factly, not leaving room for argument or protest.

"But for now," Robin added, more gently. "Thanks." Green Beetle nodded, touching his chest and bowing his head slightly. Nightwing turned around, and Raptor and Robin walked after him.

"So," Nightwing asked the younger teenagers. "Other than our new friend here, how did the mission go?" Robin looked at the ground, shrugging his shoulders. He was a little disappointed in the outcome of the mission - they may have succeeded in their goal, to an extent, but the Reach now knew what they'd been trying to do. And even though it hadn't been his fault, he was still the leader.

"Not quite as planned," he admitted. He scowled, his voice darkening. "Arsenal – " he cut off suddenly, and then took a deep breath. It would do no use in blaming the boy for something that had happened. "Is a little rough around the edges," he finished, his tone quieter. "But I guess it all worked out."

"We brought back a sample of the additive," Raptor put in, pulling out the tube. Robin reached into his utility belt and brought out the one he'd collected as well. "They might be the same," Raptor added as she passed hers to Nightwing.

"Can't ask for more," Nightwing said, nodding approvingly at the two younger teens. "Good work, you two." He walked away, and Robin turned towards Raptor. She looked at him, and smiled slightly.

"Good work, kid," she complimented the younger teen, clapping him on the shoulder jovially. Robin grunted, narrowing his eyes at Raptor.

 _"Kid?_ " he repeated, making a face. "Come on." Raptor smirked, and then walked after her brother, ignoring Robin's protests.

"Nightwing," Raptor called. He turned around, looking down at his sister. "I need to tell you something." He saw her face, and frowned, growing concerned.

"Everything okay?" He asked her cautiously.

"Yeah," she said, looking at the ground. Her chin jutted up, and she raised her gaze. She knew she was doing the right thing by telling her brother that she was seeing things again, even though she didn't really want to. "Um, I just thought you should know – "

"What the hell are you doing?" Two voices chorused. Raptor froze. Both Karla and the Talon were glaring at her from beyond Nightwing's shoulder.

"He'll bench us if he knows," Karla reminded Raptor, her eyes burning and her voice rough with intensity. "Do you really think you'll be okay without this in your life?" Next to Karla, the Talon laughed darkly.

"God knows it's all your good at," the Talon mocked. Raptor could practically hear the sneer on the Talon's face. Raptor shook her head slowly, trying to get her thoughts in order. Her heart was hammering. Suddenly, she wasn't sure if telling her brother was the right thing to do after all.

"Raptor?" Nightwing asked his sister. He looked over his shoulder, where her gaze was fixed, but there was nothing there. He frowned a little, suspicious. "You okay?"

"Fine," Raptor replied, looking at him again. Her eyes were narrowed. "I just thought you should know – I'm going to talk to Blue now." Nightwing stared at Raptor, waiting to see if she was going to say more. She didn't.

"If that's all..." Nightwing trailed off and raised his eyebrow inquisitively. Raptor nodded firmly, her mouth pressed into a line. Nightwing nodded, sighing. "Okay."

* * *

"Blue," Blue Beetle blinked, turning around. Raptor was standing in front of him, looking at the ground. "Can we talk – for a minute?" She asked him. Her voice sounded funny - like she was nervous about something. "Privately?" Blue Beetle frowned. He didn't have any clue what she wanted to talk to him about, let alone something that she would be _nervous_ to talk to him about, but he nodded slowly. "Great," Raptor said, turning to leave the barn.

Blue Beetle followed Raptor out of the barn, into the open night. There was a slight bite in the air now that the sun was down. He followed Raptor into a secluded corner. She leaned back against the wall of the barn, bracing her back against the solid surface. He looked at her, waiting for her to speak. When she didn't, he crossed his arms.

"Well?" he prompted her, raising his eyebrows. Raptor started, like she'd forgotten he was there.

"Right," she said, looking down. "Sorry. Um." Raptor looked up at Blue Beetle, her face twisted. "Jaime," she whispered his name, her voice shaking a little. "I'm…I'm really sorry." Blue Beetle shook his head. He had no idea what she was apologizing for, and she was freaking him out a little.

"Sorry for _what_?" Blue Beetle asked, confused.

Instead of answering his question, Raptor reached up, lowering her head once more. Blue Beetle watched in confusion, and then his eyes wide when he realize what Raptor was doing.

Raptor carefully peeled the domino mask from her eyes. Her face was still tilted towards the ground, and so that he still couldn't see her eyes, but something about the line of her face was familiar. Something in Jaime twisted, and he shook his head slowly. _It can't be_ , he thought. Raptor raised her head slowly, and Jaime's heart thudded in his chest.

He stepped backward, shaking his head once. His armor disappeared from his face so that he could see better, without obstruction. But it didn't change the face of the girl in front of him.

" _Karla?"_

* * *

 **this chapter is so fucking long omg.**

 **i also...eh. i'm not super happy with it?**

 **anyways, let me know what you think! i love reading your reviews, and they really keep me inspired. even just a few words make my day. :)**

 **thanks!**


	11. The Fix

**To Guest: Thank you so much! And no, Impulse doesn't. He was just confused to hear her talking to herself. But that is an interesting idea...;)**

 **To Brazio Rios: Thank you! Tiny spoiler: I promise this one doesn't end on as much of a cliffhanger (although it almost did, but I restrained myself)**

 **To Natalie: Hehe...I hope you like it?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice**

 **(also if anyone is sensitive to violence there is a scene towards the end that is a tiny more violent. it's important so you can't really skip it but just a heads up)**

* * *

 _"_ _Karla?"_ Jaime's voice was stunned, his brown eyes wide with shock as he stared at the girl in front of him. He shook his head slowly, unable to reconcile the fact that the sweet girl who he'd grown extremely fond of was the sharp-edged, harsh-tongued Raptor. It didn't make sense – it couldn't be true.

Jaime shook his head slowly, closing his eyes and then opening them again, but Karla's face remained unwavering in his sight and mind. Jaime took a deep breath, and struggling to remain composed, spoke.

" _Dios_ ," he muttered, his voice shaking. He paused to take another deep breath, and when he spoke again his voice was a little stronger. "How is this possible?" Jaime shook his head – that wasn't even the question he wanted to ask the most. "Why would you do this to me?" he asked her quietly. Pain flickered across Karla's face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Karla looked at the ground, ashamed. "It's complicated." Karla pressed her lips together, like she was thinking carefully about what to say next, and anger burst in Jaime's chest.

"Talk," he snapped at her. Karla withdrew slightly, her eyes widening. " _Mierda,"_ Jaime cursed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked up again, and making an effort to stay calm, spoke, "You owe me an explanation," Jaime told her, keeping his voice as level and quiet as possible. Karla nodded.

"I know," she murmured. She leaned backward, pressing her back into the side of the barn, hard. Her gloved fingers dug into the wall, and the rough wood anchored her to the moment as she began to talk. "Jaime, I didn't mean for this to happen," she told him. "When you found me on the beach that day, I was…a little shaken by everything that had happened. I didn't want to be rude to you and tell you to go away…" Karla's voice trailed off. Jaime crossed his arms over his chest, still struggling to keep his emotions in check.

"When I asked you out," Jaime said. "Why did you say yes?" Pain flashed in his eyes: he was angry and hurt, and it was Karla's fault. Her heart twisted in her chest. She hated that she'd hurt him.

"No," Karla whispered, looking away. "I wanted to." That was true - completely true.

"I don't understand," Jaime responded, shaking his head slowly. "You're so different. I don't understand how you're so sweet and Raptor is…"

"Such a bitch?" Karla laughed, a low, bitter sound that made Jaime flinch. Her eyes were suddenly dark and angry. She muttered something else under her breath that Jaime didn't catch.

"What?" Jaime asked, leaning forward to hear what she said. Karla closed her eyes, and she was silent for a long moment. Jaime watched her, unsure what was keeping him in place when he was so angry with her. Then she spoke.

"I can explain everything," she finally said, quietly. Her jaw twitched. "It might not make sense to you, and you'll probably never want to speak to me again, but I can explain." She looked up at Jaime, waiting for his response. Jaime nodded once, sharply.

"Well?"

"When I was little," Karla began. "I was kidnapped by the Court of Owls." She twitched when she said the name, a little shudder of fear. She looked up at him. "Have you heard of them?" Jaime shrugged, and then shook his head. She took a deep breath and continued. "Well, they're an organized crime society in Gotham. They raised me to work as their assassin." Karla spoke bluntly; there was no gentle way to phrase what she'd done. Jaime's eyes widened at Karla's words.

"You were…" Jaime's voice trailed off, and Karla nodded, her blue eyes dull.

"Yeah," she muttered, looking at the ground. "I was." She looked up again, raw pain reflected clearly on her face. "It's hard to explain," she told him. "But something about what they did to me…never calling me by name, never speaking my native language to me, never caring about me in any way…it just erased a part of me. They beat my identity out of me." Karla shook her head slowly, her eyes faraway. "No one called me by my name for eight years of my life."

"I don't get it," Jaime whispered, after a beat of silence. Karla shrugged.

"I don't either," she told him. "It's just the way the conditioned me." Karla closed her eyes. "I am Karla," she said, her voice wavering with uncertainty. She sounded like she was convincing herself of the fact. "I can be Raptor. I...don't want to be the Talon. But they…exist."

Jaime's heart twisted at the lost look on Karla's face. He felt sorry for Karla, he did. But he wasn't sure if he could forgive her. Beyond that, he still wasn't sure why she'd lead him on and deceived him.

"I still don't get it," he told her. "Why did you start…" Jaime fumbled for a word to describe their relationship. He waved a hand vaguely through the air. " _This._ With me?" Karla looked at the ground. Her eyelashes were impossibly long, the dark strands curling up to brush the pale skin underneath her eyebrows.

"You made me feel like I should," Karla whispered. Her cheeks flamed, blood rushing to her cheeks at the odd assertion. "I can't describe it." Jaime watched Karla, his chest aching.

Karla couldn't put the feeling into words, but Jaime knew exactly what she meant. He felt it, too. Despite the short time they'd known each other, when they were together Jaime felt… _whole._ He didn't think he'd ever been in love before, but he imagined this is what it felt like.

"I understand," Jaime whispered. Karla looked up, shock flashing across her face. The surprise passed, and hope gleamed somewhere deep down. Jaime shook his head, immediately crushing her hope. "But I can't – " His voice faltered. "I don't forgive you." He leaned over, pressing his forehead against Karla's, holding her close to his chest one last time. "I'm sorry."

Karla took a deep breath. She reached up, wrapping a hand around the nape of his neck. She stroked the back of his neck once and took another deep breath, steeling herself. Karla pulled away from Jaime and crossed her arms across her stomach, struggling to stay composed.

"Don't apologize," she finally whispered. " _I'm_ sorry." Jaime reached down, and Karla followed the path of his hands, confused. He gently unwrapped her fingers that were still clutching the domino mask tightly and reached up to smooth it across her eyes. Jaime stepped back, and his armor crawled back over his face.

" _Adios_ ," Blue Beetle said, a note of finality edging his voice. The young hero turned around, and walked away, presumably back to the barn where the others were.

The domino mask may have fallen off when Blue Beetle turned his back, but Karla steadfastly refused to acknowledge any ironic symbolism of _that._

* * *

 **TAOS**

 **April 9, 00:20 MDT**

Alpha Squad, minus Arsenal and White Canary, but along with Lagoon Boy, Superboy, Miss Martian, Nightwing, Dr. Strange and Green Beetle were gathered at the Star Labs in Taos. Nightwing had decided that the most reasonable course of action to ensure Green Beetle's true motives were to delve into his brain via their resident telepath. Miss Martian, however, seemed less confident about her role to play.

"I'm not comfortable with this," she protested, looking at the ground instead of meeting Green Beetle's eyes. "Delving into your mind like that…it is…it's an intrusion." Raptor raised her eyebrows. Miss Martian had never seemed to concern about reading people's minds before – especially when it was for the good of the Team. Raptor had no idea what would cause this sudden personality shift.

"You have my permission," Green Beetle assured the other Martian. He was very calm. "We must be able to trust each another." At that, he stretched his face into what Raptor was guessing was supposed to be a reassuring smile. Contrarily, it was rather creepy and unnerving.

Miss Martian flinched back at the manic look that crossed the other Martian's face. Green Beetle blinked, looking a little startled at her adverse reaction - it was clearly not what he'd expected.

"Does my smile displease?" he asked innocently, his face still contorted in the grin. "Is this not how humans convey friendship and put each other at ease?" Superboy grunted from beyond Nightwing's shoulder. His eyes tracked Miss Martian's every movement with concern.

"There has to be another way," Superboy muttered, glancing at his leader hopefully.

"Well," Raptor said conversationally. "We could probably torture it out of him, but I doubt that would help with the whole _trusting_ aspect of this." Nightwing shot his sister a look, and she dropped her gaze, staring mutinously at the ground. Her shoulders were tense - she was still sensitive from her conversation with Blue Beetle.

"Look," Nightwing said, turning to Superboy with a sigh. "I'm not sure what the Martian etiquette is here, but Green Beetle is right. We need to trust each other, which means we need to confirm that he is who he says he is." Nightwing turned back forwards, watching Miss Martian as Lagoon Boy walked up to his girlfriend. "Miss M is our only real option."

Lagoon Boy stepped up behind his girlfriend, placing his hands on her shoulders. He gave her a reassuring squeeze, grinning at his concerned girlfriend encouragingly.

"Go for it, Angelfish," he said. "Reading this guy will be a piece of crab cake." Green Beetle nodded soothingly, locking eyes with the other Martian.

"Please," he said to the other Martian. "Proceed with the mindlink." Miss Martian took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders back. A moment later, Raptor could see Green Beetle's eyes glow in response to Miss Martian's as the two linked psychically. Lagoon Boy stepped back to let the two Martians work.

After that, a tense silence descended over the room. Everyone's eyes were locked onto the two Martians as they conversed physically. Much like in a verbal conversation, every now and then one of them would make a movement with their head or hand to emphasize whatever they were saying in their head.

A few minutes later, the color faded from Green Beetle's eyes, and Miss Martian turned around. She nodded at Nightwing, but her face still suggested that she was conflicted about something.

"Green Beetle is on our side," she informed the Team. The tension in the room relaxed, and Nightwing nodded, a tiny smile curving over his face. Still, the leader clearly felt the need to test the unfamiliar Martian further.

Nightwing pointed to the table next to him. There were two bottles of some fruity soft drink that had come out seemingly overnight and out of nowhere. Already, the stock market for the stuff was soaring.

"What can you tell us about this stuff?" Nightwing asked Green Beetle. The superhero leaned over to the table and picked up a remote lying next to him. He pointed it at the television across the room and clicked it on. The screen flickered, and a commercial appeared on the screen, an annoyingly catchy jingle beginning to radiate throughout the room.

"~ _Become a citizen of the milky way by holding out your hand. Grab the taste that'll make your day, one sip and you'll understand.~"_ Raptor rolled her eyes as the Reach Ambassador appeared on the screen, smiling reassuringly at the camera. " _~Our friends have come from far beyond…to help us and to teach. Quench your thirst while we all bond. Don't wait, reach for a Reach! Yeah, in strawberry-mango or in peach…reach for a Reach!~ From LexCorp. And the Reach!"_ Raptor rolled her eyes as the commercial ended.

"Wartime propaganda anyone?" she muttered under her breath, looking away. She couldn't believe that people were buying this stuff – figuratively and literally. She glared at the bottles of product that Nightwing had procured, and Green Beetle picked both bottles up in one big hand.

"This consumable contains the Reach's additive," Green Beetle explained, studying the soft drink. "It combines microscopic quantities of two chemicals. One is a dopamine polymerase, and the other an adrenaline inhibitor. Taken over generations, they will slowly addict the entire population to Reach, and make the people of Earth…" Green Beetle paused, groping for the right word. _"Placid_ ," he finally said, his voice growing grave. "Literally incapable to revolt."

"That matches up exactly with Flash and Atom's analyses of the additive sample acquired from LexCorp," Nightwing reported, nodding in satisfaction. Green Beetle looked at Nightwing with wide eyes, seeming at first confused by why Nightwing had asked him something he already knew. The answer dawned on the Martian quickly.

"Ah," he said, sounding a trifle hurt. "I see. Still I am…tested."

"Look," Nightwing said. "We're sorry, but – " Before he could finish his insincere apology about business, Green Beetle shook his head, holding up a hand.

"No," the Martian protested, not needing Nightwing's apology. "It is wise. As they say on your world, all cards must be off the table." The corner of Raptor's mouth twitched ever-so slightly at the malapropism.

"On the table," Blue Beetle corrected, automatically. He grimaced and shrunk back, realizing how out of place his correction was. "I – I mean, never mind. Ignore me." Green Beetle nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully at the correction.

" _On_ the table," the other Beetle mused. "Yes. That does make more sense." He lowered his hand, nodding once with finality. "So here is my final card on the table," he announced to the gathered Team members. "My Scarab informs me that the additive also contains a mitochondrial marker, which works as a Meta-Gene tracer. This allows the Reach to identify and isolate potential superpowered individuals."

Nightwing's eyes widened as the Martian spoke. This information, vitally important, was new to him. The Justice League hadn't discovered this, and neither had Alpha Squad.

"Making it easier to weaponize and harvest the Meta-Gene," Nightwing summarized, his voice taught with shock. "Our analysis _didn't_ reveal that," he added. "Thank you," he said sincerely to the alien in front of him. Green Beetle touched his chest, bowing his head slightly.

"Can't we go public with this?" Blue Beetle demanded, looking at their Leader. He was eager for the Reach to go down, and Raptor could guess easily that it was because of Impulse's prophecy.

"The Reach is the whole _world's_ new sweetheart," Raptor reminded the armored teen, not dropping her gaze when he turned to look at her. Raptor was professional enough that she wouldn't let her emotions towards Blue Beetle show - she wasn't sure if he'd grant her the same. "And the League's credibility isn't great right now, either. Not a good combination." Nightwing nodded at his sister's point.

"I will pass it on to Captain Atom, however," the leader assured Blue Beetle. He scratched the back of his neck, thinking. He made a face, and then added, sounding dubious, "I'll talk to Director Wren as well. Maybe A.R.G.U.S. can do something." He then turned to face the whole assembly of heroes. "Good work, everyone," he said. "Meeting adjourned." As soon as her brother had given the word, Raptor turned to leave the building.

She really just wanted this night to be over, and for once, the voices in her head were in agreement.

* * *

Raptor's night might have been over, but her day was barely starting. Not even three hours after the meeting had adjourned in Taos did she receive a distress call from Lagoon Boy. Upon her brother's insistence that he needed help, she had been at the warehouse in Blüdhaven, helping Nightwing out with some research. Superboy was there as well.

" _Lagoon Boy to Team,_ " The Atlantean's voice sounded in their comms. He sounded unusually grave and serious. " _We're under attack at the Chicago Zeta Tube. Requesting backup."_ Raptor looked up at Nightwing as he pressed down on the comm. to respond to his team member's distress call.

"Acknowledged," Nightwing said. Superboy was rising from the couch, having heard Lagoon Boy's signal for help as well. "We're three minutes from the nearest Tube, but we're on our way." Nightwing added, leading his sister and Superboy out of the warehouse and towards the location of the Zeta.

The three heroes stepped into the Tube – it was one of the few street Zetas large enough to allow more than one hero to go through at once.

 _"_ _Recognized: Superboy: B-Zero-Four; Nightwing: B-Zero-One; Raptor: B-One-Five."_ The glow from the Zeta died down, and Nightwing shoved the door of the shack the Tube was disguised at open. The three heroes ran out of the Tube, looking around the junkyard.

Clearly, a battle had taken place there. There was a circle of smoldering flames on the ground, and several dents in the cars around the scrapyard. Lagoon Boy lay on the ground a few yards away, unconscious. His leg was swollen and clearly injured.

But Miss Martian and the assailants were nowhere to be seen.

They were too late.

* * *

"Neptune's _Beard_ , let go of me!" Lagoon Boy struggled against Nightwing and Raptor's grip. Superboy leaned down, pressing firmly but gently on the Atlantean, using his super strength to ensure that the hero kept still and didn't injure himself further.

The bone of Lagoon Boy's leg had been set and was encased in a cast. His Atlantean physiology would heal the leg faster than a human, but for the time being he was injured and down for the count.

"I've got to save M'gann!" Lagoon Boy shouted, still struggling against his three teammates furiously.

"Can we sedate him?" Raptor asked through clenched teeth. Nightwing glared at his sister and she rolled her eyes.

"La'gaan, calm down!" Nightwing insisted, pushing back and pressing La'gaan's back against the pillow. "There's nothing you can do for her in your condition!" Lagoon Boy growled, glaring at Raptor and Superboy.

"Then what about _them?"_ he spat furiously. "Why aren't they rescuing her? I know you dumped her," Lagoon Boy accused, glaring at Superboy. "And that Raptor dislikes everyone, but do you two really hate her that much?!" Raptor bristled at Lagoon Boy's accusation, and Superboy's shoulders tightened.

"You have no idea what I feel for her!" he shouted at the Atlantean, drawing up to his full height.

"You're right," Lagoon Boy snarled. "Because I would never abandon her to Kaldur and his flunkies. Because that's who took her! Aqualad's personal ninja pal Tigress!" Lagoon Boy's voice rose until he was shouting at the top of his lungs.

Nightwing watched the scene with growing distress. He shook his head, resigning himself to the fact that there was only one way to resolve this conflict and calm Lagoon Boy down. He was going to have to come clean about what he'd done.

"Enough!" he shouted, making everyone in the room look at him. His shoulders slumped under their gaze, and he sighed. "I'm not supposed to tell you," he said quietly. "To tell _anyone_ , but Aqualad is _not_ a traitor." Raptor's head snapped up, staring at her brother in abject shock.

"What are you talking about?" Lagoon Boy asked their leader, clearly confused. "He killed Artemis!"

"No," Nightwing corrected. He sunk down into a chair next to Lagoon Boy's bed, bowing his head as he spoke. "He didn't." Raptor took a step back, her mind reeling. She couldn't believe this. She couldn't believe that her brother would lie to her, to _everyone._

"Aqualad has been on a deep cover mission for months," Nightwing began to explain. "Infiltrating Black Manta's troops, the Light, and the Reach. We faked Artemis's death. She's alive. In fact, Artemis is Tigress. If she kidnapped Miss Martian, there has to be a good reason."

Raptor shook her head slowly. Why Nightwing would do this was beyond her. Why he would lie to his whole Team, why Artemis had agreed to come out of retirement to "die," Raptor had no idea.

"Why am I only hearing this now?" Lagoon Boy asked, his voice low and dark as he scowled at the human across from him. "I _mourned_ Artemis. Neptune's _Beard_ , I tried to tear Kaldur limb from limb." He thrashed his arm's down against the bed. "You should have told me!" For once, Raptor found herself agreeing with Lagoon Boy.

"No," Superboy said, in response to Lagoon Boy's point. The Boy of Steel had his arms crossed firmly over his chest, his icy blue eyes guarded and unreadable. "Nightwing's our leader," Superboy asserted. "We put our trust in him. I'm sure he didn't keep this from us – from all of us – without having his reasons." Even as Superboy defended his old friend, there was a tightness around his eyes that suggested anger.

"Look," Nightwing said, rising from the chair. He placed his hand on Lagoon Boy's shoulder. "We will figure this out," he promised his injured teammate. "Together. In the meantime…get some rest."

Lagoon Boy sunk back against the pillows, his mouth closing into a firm line. But he didn't protest, and so Nightwing led Raptor and Superboy from the hospital room, closing the door behind them. The hallway was empty, and Raptor walked a little ways down it so that she could have some space.

"Thanks for backing me up in there," Nighwing said to Superboy. The clone swung around, his eyes blazing with fury.

"You don't leave a guy a lot of options," he snapped. "You have no _idea_ what your secrets have done to us." Superboy was mainly thinking about M'gann, but his mind also automatically went to Raptor. He remembered her lost expression and distant voice after she'd reverted to her assassin persona, and he wondered if she blamed her brother for that. He certainly did.

"What does that mean?" Nightwing asked, sounding exhausted.

"M'gann believed that Kaldur killed Artemis," Superboy reminded Nightwing. So, when she found him on the Reach Ship, she _fried. His. Brain."_ Nightwing's eyes widened in horror, realizing exactly what he had missed, why M'gann had been taken. "That's got to be why Artemis grabbed her," Superboy added. "To try and save Kaldur's broken mind. But M'gann doesn't know how to _do_ that. So, Manta may just kill her, and kill Artemis if she blows her cover trying to save her."

Superboy turned to walk down the hallway, his voice still carrying back over his shoulder. "So, we may lose all three of them, just because you thought it was a bad idea to share."

Nigthwing watched the clone has Superboy stalked off down the hallway. He looked over at his sister. Raptor had her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her wispy side bangs that escaped from her braids dusted her cheekbones as she focused her gaze somewhere on the ground.

Feeling his gaze on her, Raptor looked up. Someone could cut the tension in the hallway with a knife – the siblings' silence spoke volumes.

Raptor turned her head, looking at the Talon and Karla next to her expectantly, waiting for a reaction she could take cues from. The Talon shrugged – she had grown accustomed to feeling like a pawn. Karla's eyes were dark and sad, wounded at her brother's betrayal.

Raptor herself was in the middle. To an extent she understood. Nightwing had been trained by Batman. The distrust her brother had for everyone when it came to a plan or his identity came from Batman. And in this case, the distrust made sense. If one person made a mistake, everyone could die. By few people knowing, it would minimize the risk. It was Batman's mentality.

But it also reminded Raptor of the Court.

She felt like a goddamn tool in Nightwing's scheme. She had lost her mind, she had _killed_ because he hadn't trusted her, or anyone else, with the plan. Raptor's poker face hadn't twitched since Nightwing had begun his explanation, but inside her heart was aching.

"Karly?" Nightwing broke the silence, his voice heavy. Raptor lifted her head, shrugging. Her mouth twisted down as she turned around.

"I'm going to go see Jason."

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

 **April 9, 21:42 EDT**

Jason had been whaling on the punching bag in front of him for the better part of an hour. His knuckles were bruised, and his shoulders ached, but no soreness or pain could compare to the fire that burned in his chest.

It was nothing compared to the snippets Jason remembered post-Lazarus Pit, but the burning sensation made it hard to sit still, hard to focus, hard to do anything but want to fight. Whenever Jason paused to take a breath, his head clouded over so there were only one thought.

Anger.

Anger at everyone, everything. Angry that Bruce, the only kind of father Jason had ever known, wasn't there to welcome him back to life. Angry at himself for being careless and being killed. Angry at the Joker, that stupid clown for killing him. Jason wanted – he wanted _revenge._

But he wasn't sure where he'd find it. Bruce for all his stoic personality and rough exterior, was a good man, and Jason had known his love. Surely, there was no way Bruce had allowed the Joker to live after killing Jason. Quinn was in A.R.G.U.S. custody, and Jason wasn't sure he was _quite_ ready to break into A.R.G.U.S. Headquarters.

And beyond that, he wasn't allowed to leave Wayne Manor.

Yeah, Jason was slowly losing his mind.

Screaming in frustration, Jason slammed his hand into the punching bag. The chain snapped, and the bag went flying across the ground, hitting the floor with a loud crack. The bag split, and sand began to leak out.

"Not bad," a familiar voice teased from across the room. Jason turned around. Karla was standing at the entrance to the gym, smirking at him. He tried to smile back at her, but his face stayed pressed in a hard scowl. Karla raised her eyebrows. "Whoa," she muttered. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm going insane," Jason declared. His hands clenched into fists, and he hammered them against his thigh, an angry blur of movement. "I need – I need to get _out._ But apparently, I'm on house arrest," Jason muttered bitterly, clenching his jaw. Karla nodded.

"I know the feeling," she muttered, recalling her time fresh from the Court. She shook her head - this wasn't about her, it was about Jason. It was her turn to help him. "Um. Want to spar?" she asked hesitantly. She was pretty sure she could hold back enough to keep from hurting Jason.

"No," he said. He stepped forward, eyes huge and hopeful. "Can we – Alfred's out," he said, stumbling over his words in a rush. "Dick's in Blüdhaven. Um – _Tim_ isn't here either." Jason grabbed Karla's hand. "It's just us – no one will know, can we go out? Patrol?" Jason begged Karla. He was dying for something to relieve him.

"Jason," Karla shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea." She rolled her eyes, trying to be lighthearted and flippant as opposed to tense and nervous - she didn't want him worrying about her. "You need a stress relief? Go masturbate. I don't think you should be out on the streets right now." _Especially with me,_ she thought. Jason rolled his eyes.

"Fuck off," he told her without heat. "That's not what I want." Jason looked at Karla desperately. "I can handle it. C'mon, please?" Karla hesitated. She knew that she wasn't in a good mindset to be patrolling – _especially_ in Gotham. Talking to Jaime and Dick's revelation had set her psyche in a tailspin. She was afraid if she got her hands on a sword it wouldn't be Raptor in control.

She'd had this fear before, right after she'd left the Court. After being expelled from Gotham Academy for punching that boy, Karla had felt trapped and lost. Bruce had eventually suggested – with persuasion by either Dick or Jason, Karla was sure – that Karla join the fight as a vigilante.

She'd been hesitant at first – but Bruce had managed to convince her.

* _FLASHBACK*_

 _Karla was sitting on the floor of the gym in Wayne Manor. She was rubbing her hands methodically with chalk, patting the white powder underneath, over, and around her grips meticulously._

 _Sometimes she got tired of whaling on punching bags and slicing up practice dummies. When she did, Karla had found that she still enjoyed the freeing feeling of gymnastics._

 _"_ _Karla." The girl turned around. Bruce was standing at the door to the gym. He smiled faintly when she turned around. "Have you thought more about what I suggested?" Karla frowned, shrugging her shoulders silently._

 _A few nights ago, Bruce had asked her if she wanted to join him on the streets as his partner. Karla had sarcastically muttered that she thought he had enough partners as it was, and then realized that Bruce hadn't been being facetious._

 _Upon realizing that it was a legit offer, Karla had balked. The thought of patrolling Gotham scared her. She was afraid that she'd lose control, afraid that something would happen._

 _Bruce crossed the room to meet Karla, kneeling down so that the two of them were face to face. Karla's eyes trailed over his shoulder to focus on the wall behind him, still uncomfortable with eye-contact. It had been drilled into her that eye-contact was not respectful; that it was her job to be subservient and submissive to the Court and sometimes other Talons._

 _Old habits die hard._

 _"_ _Look at me," Bruce requested gently. She slid her eyes back to his face reluctantly._

 _"_ _Sorry," she murmured, resisting the urge to drop her gaze once more. She tugged at her grips nervously, and Bruce settled back so that they were a few feet apart. "Um. What do you want?"_

 _"_ _An answer," he responded, patiently. "How do you feel about entering the field?" Karla raised her eyebrows._

 _"_ _Me, a superhero," Karla said, her eyes involuntarily sliding to the side again. Bruce let it happen – he had a feeling this conversation was going to be a difficult one. "I just – I do not think that's a good idea."_

 _"_ _Why?" Bruce asked her. Karla shrugged, looking down at the ground. The gym mat in front of her was speckled with chalk, the white powder spread in a thin residue over the surface. She began to trace a finger through the dust absentmindedly._

 _"_ _I can't," she finally whispered, her face twisting. She twitched, like she was expecting to be struck, and folded in on herself further, her eyes still locked to the ground. "I'm scared."_

 _Bruce looked at the girl sitting across from him. Her hair was falling in front of her face and he couldn't see her eyes, but he could still picture the expression on her face easily._

 _"_ _Scared of what?" Bruce asked her gently. Karla's shoulders tightened._

 _"_ _Of – of," Karla stuttered, unable to formulate her fear into a sentence. "Of being out there. Of holding a sword. Of fighting. Of hurting someone. Of being the Talon – or anything close to her."_

 _Karla always spoke about the Talon was a separate entity from herself. Someone that she didn't have control over being._

 _Bruce thought about all the things he could say in that moment. He thought about telling her that she didn't have to anything she didn't want to, he considered telling her that crime in Gotham was at an all-time high and that he could use an extra set of hands. He thought about telling her that she was too strong to lose control._

 _Instead, Bruce leaned forward, placing a hand on Karla's shoulder. She tensed nearly imperceptibly, and when she raised her head her jaw was set firmly._

 _"_ _Karla," Bruce said. "Do you know what my greatest fear was as a kid?"_

 _"_ _Unicorns," Karla muttered. "Sunshine and happiness?" Bruce's mouth curved up in a smile, and he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly._

 _"_ Bats."

 _*END FLASHBACK*_

This is what Karla was thinking as Jason stood in front of her, begging to be taken out on the streets. Karla was scared of losing control, she was scared that Jason would get hurt or worse.

But Bruce's lesson from years ago had stuck: sometimes you have to _be_ what makes you afraid. Sometimes you have to do what makes you afraid.

"Let's go," she conceded, stealing a glance at the clock.

* * *

Raptor's heart was hammering as she looked down at Gotham City. She hated patrolling Gotham with a passion – she couldn't help it. Something about standing on the rooftops, sneaking up on people in the shadows awoke the part of her conscious still tied to the Court. She was always afraid she'd make a mistake, that she'd kill someone.

Besides, there was always the overriding fear that she was being stalked by another Talon and was going to die with a sword through her chest, but y'know. What are the chances of that?

Answer: high. Very high.

Raptor glanced over her shoulder nervously, her pulse rising even further. She could see Jason on the roof adjacent to her. He was wearing his old Robin uniform, minus the cape. He'd put a brown leather jacket on over it, to distance himself from the current Robin.

Taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves, Raptor swept her eyes over the ground one more time. Then she turned, running across the rooftop and landing lightly on the next one, just a few yards away from Jason.

"You okay?" she checked. He nodded once, not looking back. His shoulders were relaxed for once. _That makes one of us_ , Raptor thought to herself, looking around nervously again.

She was kind of regretting her decision to take Jason back out on the streets.

"I see something," Jason said, suddenly. Raptor turned around. A woman was walking down the street, holding onto the hand of a young boy. The little boy was clearly exhausted; he kept stumbling over his own feet. His mother was also tired – Raptor could tell by the hard set of her mouth and the tightness around her eyes.

Walking behind them was another person – Raptor couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman for sure, but the person's build was muscular enough and tall enough for her to assume male. The person stalking the young woman and her son had his hand in his pocket, and Raptor could see the line of a gun in the stalker's hoodie.

"Right," Raptor said. "Move."

It was a mugging, plain and simple. It should have been easy – nothing should have gone wrong. But it did.

Jason and Raptor landed on the ground behind the mugger. Jason was out of shape, and out of practice, and stumbled on the landing. Raptor watched, horrified, as the mugger swung around, his face contorting into an ugly sneer when he saw the two heroes.

Faster than Raptor would have expected the man to move, he leapt forward – but not at the heroes. The man snatched the little boy from his mother's gasp, ignoring the startled shriek of the child and his mother's panicked sob.

"Take another step," the mugger growled, holding the barrel of the gun against the kid's temple. The little boy whimpered, closing his eyes. "He dies." His eyes flicked over Jason and Raptor nervously, and he jutted his chin up. "Hands up. _Now."_ The mugger tightened his grip on the kid's head, and the little boy sobbed in pain.

Swearing under her breath softly, Raptor raised her hands slightly, just enough to show the mugger that she wasn't holding anything. Next to her, Jason did the same. Raptor could feel him trembling next to her. She wasn't sure if he was angry or scared.

"Good," the mugger said. "Now," he continued, starting to walk backwards, still gripping the child tightly. "I'll just be on my way."

Raptor felt Jason tense, and she knew what was about to happen.

"Don't – "she began. Before she could finish her sentence, Jason was rushing forward. Jason was fast enough, and the mugger was distracted enough that Jason managed to catch the mugger's arm and pull it upwards before he fired the gun.

The first shot went wild, and the child screamed, closing his eyes. Jason grabbed the mugger's other arm, and Raptor pulled the little boy free from the man's grip. The kid thrashed against her as she picked him up, tears streaming down his face. Raptor shoved him towards his mother.

"Run," she told them. "Get off the streets – find a coffee shop or a police station, _now."_ The mother didn't even nod – she grabbed her son around the waist, picking him up and fleeing in the other direction as fast as she could go.

Raptor turned around. To her surprise, not only was Jason still struggling with the mugger, but he was _losing._ Icy fear coursed through Raptor's veins, and the girl ran forward.

Jason took a hit across the face and faltered. Sneering, the mugger kicked Jason to the ground, striking him across the ribs. Jason cried out as he hit the ground, his arm curling around his middle to protect himself.

The mugger laughed darkly, cocking the gun and pointing it at Jason's prone body. Before he could pull the trigger, Raptor tackled him, sending the man spinning to the ground.

When the mugger's back hit the sidewalk, something clicked in Raptor's brain. Jason could tell from where he was lying, his heart pounding with fear and regret. The girl's movements suddenly became – almost relaxed.

In one swift motion, the Talon had pulled a dagger from belt. The man beneath her saw it, and began to struggle, his eyes going wide and wild with fear.

"N – no," he stuttered frantically, fruitlessly trying to struggle away from the Talon's iron grasp. "You don't – you don't kill."

Those were the man's last words. The Talon's knife flicked across his throat, and suddenly the only sound in the otherwise empty street was the sound of a man choking to death on his own blood.

Jason closed his eyes. He could hear his own blood pumping in his ears. There was a whisper of fabric, and then a shadow crossed Jason's body. The boy looked up, blinking when he saw the Talon standing over him.

She looked like Raptor and Karla, but she also… _didn't._ It was weird to see the differences – the Talon held herself differently. The Talon's posture was stiff, her facial expression flatter and more terrifying.

As Jason watched, the Talon observed him. She seemed to deem him not a threat, because she turned around, her feet falling soundlessly against the ground. Jason pushed himself up, and watched her go, his heart pounding.

This was bad. This was _very_ bad.

Jason closed his eyes, feeling sick. Looking back on it, Karla had seemed off when she'd come to see him earlier that night. He should never have asked her to patrol Gotham with him – what had he been _thinking?_

Standing up, Jason took a deep breath, and then winced when it tugged at his ribs. His head spun at the pain, and Jason grit his teeth. He was annoyed at himself for getting beat up so easily – fighting a person was a lot different than a punching bag, and he'd forgotten that.

Stumbling over to the man's dead body, Jason leaned over. He patted the man's pockets, feeling for a cell phone. He tugged out a burner flip phone and dialed the police station.

" _9-1-1, what's your emergency?"_ the operator asked.

"Corner of 27th Street," Jason replied gruffly, glancing at the sign next to him. "There's a dead body." He didn't wait for a response from the operator, and instead hung up, tossing the phone away.

He needed to find the Talon – he needed to find _Karla –_ and get her back to Wayne Manor. And he wanted to do it before Dick or anyone else found out what the two of them had done.

He had no idea how the hell he was going to find a highly trained assassin in her own element. But he had to try. Jason looked around, and something occurred to him. Bending down, Jason closed his hand around the gun next to the dead mugger's body.

Jason forced his shaking hands to steady and he clicked the safety back on. He was about to unload it and put it back down for the police to collect, and then he considered his options.

Bruce _hated_ guns. Jason could imagine his mentor's disappointment at Jason's current train of thought. But he didn't have many other options. Jason was injured, and in no shape to take down the Talon if he had to fight her. A gun…he didn't want to kill the Talon, but a gun would deter her if absolutely necessary. Not to mention any other criminals roaming the streets.

Cocking the gun and holding it out in front of him, Jason set his jaw and started down the alley way that the Talon had left through.

He _had_ to find her.

* * *

Dick gave Karla several hours to cool off and think things over, and then he went to Gotham. He wanted to ensure that Karla didn't pass this information onto Tim, and besides, Dick wanted to see Alfred and Jason too.

Dick exited the BatCave into the entry hall and looked around. The hall was empty, which wasn't unusual, but for some reason Dick was on edge.

"Karla?" he called. "Jason?" There was no response, and Dick frowned. He turned towards the kitchen and called out again. "Hey, Alfred? Is anyone else home?" The elderly butler exited the kitchen when Dick shouted. He smiled at the teenager.

"Master Dick," he greeted the boy. "Master Tim is here, and Master Jason should be as well, but I have not seen Miss Karla since she was here last week." Dick frowned. Karla had said she was coming to Gotham, and he didn't see why she would lie.

"Tim?" Dick shouted again, ignoring the disapproving look that Alfred gave him. The butler hated it when any of them shouted through the house instead of just walking to find each other. But hey – it was a big house, and that was a _lot_ of walking. "Timmy!"

"What?" Tim called back from the top of the stairs, poking his head down to look at Dick. The older boy beckoned his brother down, and Tim descended the stairs obediently. He walked over to where Dick was standing and raised his eyebrows. "What is it?"

"Are Jason and Karla here?" Dick asked the younger boy. Tim shrugged.

"I mean, I don't know if Karla is," Tim replied. "But Jason should be – check the gym, that's where he usually is." There was a note of discomfort in Tim's voice, and Dick wondered if Jason's presence was tough on the younger boy. It wasn't as though Jason had made a great first impression, what with beating Tim unconscious.

Dick felt a stab of guilt, and he promised himself that once he was able to think about something that wasn't Kaldur or Artemis or the Reach or the Light or any part of the goddamn plan, he was going to check in on his brothers.

Ignoring that thought, Dick headed down the hallway to check the gym. He pushed the door open, and looked in.

Jason had clearly been there at one point. He hadn't bothered to clean up after himself, either. A punching bag was still leaking sand onto the floor, and three empty water bottles were strewn about the room. But Jason himself was nowhere to be found.

Just as Dick was about to start panicking, Tim yelled his name. Dick turned from the gym and headed back towards the entry hall. When he got there, Dick saw with relief that Jason was there, too.

The relief didn't last long when he took in what Jason was wearing. He'd donned his old Robin uniform; and he'd clearly been out of the streets. Something that Barbara and Dick had stated very clearly that Jason was _not ready_ and _not_ _allowed_ to do. Behind him, the entry to the BatCave was still open.

Jason looked a little worse for wear. He had a narrow, deep cut on his cheekbone that was still bleeding profusely. Dick crossed his arms over his chest, staring at Jason with an unimpressed look on his face.

"Well?" Dick asked, when Jason didn't volunteer any information.

"I – Karla and I went out," Jason admitted, staring at the ground. Alfred handed the boy a gauze pad and he pressed it to the cut, applying pressure to the wound. Dick watched with a sympathetic wince as red seeped through the white bandage. "It didn't go well."

"Clearly not," Dick muttered. "Where's Karla?" Jason jerked his head backwards.

"Downstairs," Jason replied. "But she's – "Jason shifted uncomfortably. "She was the Talon, for a little bit." Next to him, Dick heard Tim inhale sharply. Jason shifted uncomfortably. "I – I got her to come back with me, without much of a fight. But she's still a little…" Jason's voice trailed off, but it didn't matter. Dick had gotten the gist of it.

"Great," Dick muttered. He dragged a hand over his face and took a deep breath. Without another word, he headed down towards the BatCave.

The Talon was standing in the middle of the large room. She looked at Dick when he walked towards her, her face blank. Dick moved slowly, keeping his hands where she could see them.

"Hello," he greeted the girl across from him cautiously. The Talon didn't respond. Her eyes were focused over Dick's shoulder, and her head was tilted as though she was listening to someone speak. Dick frowned, and then he tried again. "Do you know me?" There was a pause, and then she spoke.

"Dick, it's me," Karla said, reaching up and removing her mask. A rush of relief swept through Dick's body and he sighed, stepping forward. Dick threw his arms around his younger sister. She allowed him to hug her, leaning into the embrace and squeezing him back. She took a shaky breath. "I – what happened?"

"You went out with Jason," Dick told her, his anger returning now that his sister was safe. "What were you thinking?" Karla's eyes widened, and she seemed to realize what she'd done.

"Shit," she muttered. "I – oh, no." Dick nodded grimly, and Karla's shoulders slumped. She looked down at her hands, and then closed them into fists, lowering them to her sides. She was shaking. "I didn't mean to," she whispered. Dick nodded.

"I know," he told her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Karla wasn't crying, but her face was pale and drawn tight with horror.

"That's twice," Karla murmured, horrified. "In – less than two months." She swallowed hard.

"I know," Dick said again. He waited a few more minutes until Karla's breathing became more even, and then he spoke. "What's going on?" he asked her, as gently as possible. "You know now…Artemis isn't dead." Karla's mouth twitched, and Dick was guessing she wanted to go off on him. But she didn't. Instead, Karla shrugged moodily.

"I don't want to talk about it," she muttered, brushing past him. Her shoulders were slumped. "I'm going to sleep."

Dick watched her go, his heart aching.

* * *

Jason was sitting in his room. Karla has gone up to bed without talking to anyone and hadn't answered him when he'd knocked on the door. Jason had then retreated to his own room and was currently turning the gun he'd stolen over in his hands.

He knew how to handle a gun – all of them did, even Bruce, even though he hated guns. But he had never actually used one as his weapon of choice. He hadn't shot it that night at anyone, but he kind of liked the feeling of it in his hands. It scared him, a little.

Jason was really just focusing on the weapon so that he didn't have to think about the massive mistake he'd made that night. He felt insanely guilty – he couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed that Karla was on the brink.

As Jason stewed over this, there was a quiet knock on the door. Jason stood up, crossing over the room to open the safe in the back where he kept his suit. He made sure the safety to the gun was on and then unloaded it, placing it gently into the safe.

Closing the vault, Jason turned towards the door.

"Come in," he called. The door crept open, and Karla slid in. Her blue eyes were shining in the dim light, and Jason felt a rush of relief. "Karla – " He began. Before he could finish his sentence, she had crossed the room.

Karla didn't love to hug or touch most people – she didn't hate it, she was just generally opposed to it, particularly after being the Talon. But still, she hugged Jason, hard.

"Don't be upset," she told him quietly, not pulling back. She pressed her face into his shoulder, and Jason rested his chin on the crown of her head. "It's not your fault."

"I should have noticed," Jason muttered. Karla rolled her eyes. She walked across the room and sat down on Jason's bed, pulling her legs up so she was sitting criss-cross. Jason walked over and sat down next to her.

"No, you shouldn't have," Karla finally said, once both of them were situated. "I should have – I mean, I did, but I should have been responsible about it." Karla shrugged. "I know how to deal with it now, I do. I mean, every now and then there's something I can't control," Karla thought of Artemis's "death" with a jolt of anger. "But usually I'm pretty steady." She covered his hand with hers. "I was just trying to help you."

"So, it _is_ my fault," Jason said, refusing to be comforted. "I convinced you." Karla sighed, a loud, frustrated noise.

"It's not your fault," she practically snapped, exasperated. She took a deep breath, and then spoke more calmly. "It's really not," she said again. "I had a rough day and I've been – "she cut herself off, and then sighed. "I've been…you know, seeing _the others_ for since yesterday."

Jason's head shot up. Karla referred to her hallucinations of Karla, the Talon, and Raptor as _the others._ When the Talon had been little, she saw Karla almost all the time, sort of an imaginary friend to comfort her.

Once Karla had been rescued from the Court, several trusted psychiatrists and then M'gann had examined her. They had deduced that she wasn't schizophrenic, but that the visions were an ingrained coping mechanism, and M'gann had said that the three separate entities were how Karla perceived her psyche. Dinah had assumed that the visions would fade with time, now that Karla was safe.

Jason wasn't sure what it meant, now that they were back. Karla noticed the concern in Jason's eyes, and she stood up.

"I know," she said, before he could say anything or voice his concern in anyway. "I think it's okay – they're not like, doing anything. They're not fighting for control. They're just there." Jason nodded slowly.

"Karly, tonight –"Jason broke off, realizing that that wasn't an effective course of action. He sighed. "If they start – "Jason began. Karla nodded, interrupting him.

"I know," she said again. She squared her shoulders, confident that she knew what she was doing. "Tonight was – a fluke. It will be fine." Jason studied his friend, unconvinced. Finally, he shrugged, still dubious.

"If you say so."

* * *

 **ugh i so lost my train of thought towards the end. anyways. that's that.**

 **please leave a review! i love to hear from you guys, and any and all feedback is appreciated.**

 **thank you!**


	12. Runaways

**To KingPenguinJG: Karla doesn't have diagnosed D.I.D., no. Keyword being diagnosed. I think I'll get more into the medical/scientific aspect of her mental condition later in the story, but right now it's purposely left vague because I don't have enough time to do proper research, and I don't want to just throw some diagnosis on my character without it being accurate. Glad you're still liking the story, and I'm sorry that you ship Jason and Karla and don't like Jaime and Karla that much :) to be completely honest, a part of me ships Jason and Karla too.**

 **To Skeylar665: hehe...sorry!**

 **To BraziaRios: I'm glad you like Karla, and I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you!  
**

 **To Guest: Haha yeah...as I said above, part of me does ship Jason and Karla. At this point in time, they are definitely not going to end up together, but they have an intense relationship. Hope you enjoy it even without Jason and Karla :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice (or Nate or Sara)**

* * *

 **TAOS  
** **May 13, 13:05 MDT**

Nate crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the white wall of the testing room. Everything was white in the room – the walls, the floor, even the stupid jumpsuits all of the teenagers were wearing. Tye and Sam – it hadn't taken long for Nate and the fellow abductees to become friends – were sitting on a bench beside Nate. There were two other teenagers: a guy named Neut who hadn't been abducted by the Reach, and a boy named Ed. Nate wasn't sure were Ed was.

All four of them were watching Virgil in the center of the room. The boy had monitors stuck to his face, so the scientist, Dr. Wilcox, could keep an eye on his vitals and see how much Virgil was exerting himself. Nate could tell without the monitor that Virgil was struggling. The other boy was sweating, his powers being pushed to their limits as he manipulated his electricity to levitate a trash can lid around the room.

" _Not just the lid, the_ entire _can,"_ Dr. Wilcox droned to Virgil from the observatory adjacent to the testing room. His voice echoed through the speakers around the room, and Nate saw Virgil's shoulders stiffen with irritation. Grunting, the boy reared backwards, throwing the lid across the room so that it embedded into the stone wall, cracking the wall.

Virgil whirled around, his brown eyes blazing. His chest was heaving as he ripped the monitors off his face and tossed them to the ground. He glared at Dr. Wilcox indignantly.

"Doc," he shouted, waving his arms in the air. "We've been at this for five hours straight! How about a lunch break?" Nate straightened up. Lunch sounded good to him. Dr. Wilcox pulled his pocket watch out and studied it. He nodded, sighing like it was a great inconvenience.

" _Take twenty minutes,"_ he said into the microphone. Nate rolled his eyes.

"Thank you for your generosity," he muttered under his breath, sarcastically.

Sam was Japanese, and didn't speak any English. She glanced at Nate curiously. The boy had been acting as her translator – he liked languages, and was fluent in English and French, conversational in Italian, and could read quite a bit of Latin. He also happened to be currently learning German and Japanese for fun.

He couldn't usually understand what she said – only a few words here and there, and he had been mostly forced to translate sentence long conversations into one or two words, due to his limited vocabulary. Whenever he spoke to Sam, Nate was guessing he was butchering her language, but she seemed to prefer his choppy dialect to being left _completely_ in the dark.

" _Ranchi,"_ he told her – meaning, "lunch." Sam nodded, looking relieved at the fact that they were receiving a break for once.

" _Domo,"_ she thanked him. Nate nodded, following Virgil out of the room. Sam and the others followed the two boys.

As the group exited the testing lab, they had to walk down a hallway before reaching the cafeteria. As they passed a corridor of offices, Ed's angry voice echoed through the hallways.

"You heard me!" he shouted, presumably at his father, Eduardo Dorado Sr., who happened to be one of the leading scientists testing the group of abductees. "I'm sick and tired of the testing," Ed continued loudly. "We all are!"

" _Mijo,"_ Eduardo replied, sounding just as irritated but more composed than his son. "We must continue."

"They're at it again," Tye muttered to Nate, stating the obvious. The brown-haired boy nodded in agreement, grimacing. Ed and his father were constantly fighting – not that Nate really blamed Ed. Nate didn't exactly get along with his father either.

Nate didn't even call his father Dad – when speaking about his father, Nate always called him by his name, Hank. When speaking to his dad - well, Nate usually didn't speak to his father.

In fact, Nate could remember only one moment that he had truly felt like he loved his father, completely and without resentment. Nate wrapped his hand around his grandfather's dog tags around his throat as he swallowed hard, recalling his father's words from all those years ago.

Nate's grandfather, Henry Heywood, had been part of the army. He had been a hero in every sense of the word – there was even a dent on the tags from when Henry had saved President Roosevelt from an assassin's bullet in 1939. Nate's grandfather wasn't just a war hero - he had even had a tenure as a superhero. According to Hank's word, Nate's grandfather had been a part of the Justice Society of America as Commander Steel, as a normal human with no powers.

When Nate had been diagnosed with hemophilia, his parents started sheltering him, immediately. When he was younger, Nate hadn't had as many problems with his father, and right after his diagnosis Hank had given Nate the dog tags to remind him that heroics were in Nate's blood – those had been Hank's exact words. And Nate had held those words with him for his whole life, even as Hank had started to lose faith in his son, even when the tension between father and son increased, and even when Nate had run away.

"Why? Just to prove your theory?" Ed shouted, drawing Nate's attention back to the present. Curious, Nate stepped closer, peering into the window at the top of the door. Ed was standing in front of his father's desk, pointing at his dad furiously. Ed's spiky hair somehow enhanced the scene - it was almost as if Ed's hair was standing on end from anger. Eduardo was sitting down, but he looked just as angry as his son did.

" _Sí,_ Eduardo _,_ " Eduardo Sr. shouted at his son, losing his composure. "I spent two decades working on my Zeta Beam technology, and now my son as teleportation powers?" Eduardo dropped the manila folder he was holding onto the desk and slammed his hand down on top of it. "This cannot be a coincidence!" Eduardo sighed, taking a deep breath. He spoke more calmly as he continued, "The Meta-Gene the Reach activated inside of you must be opportunistic, taking advantage of whatever is present in the subject's system."

"Only this _subject_ doesn't care!" Ed shouted back at his father, gesticulating wildly with his arms to emphasize his point. "I want a cure – not an explanation!" Eduardo sighed, leaning back in his desk chair. He was sick and tired of his son's complaining.

"You have only yourself to blame," Eduardo told his son, undeterred by Ed's explosion. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't run away from your _abuelo's_ home in Argentina." Ed stepped backwards, crossing his arms over his chest. Nate could see Ed's shoulders shaking with as the boy struggled to control his temper.

"I thought I wanted to be with my father," Ed said more softly. Nate could just make out the other boy's words – he'd significantly lowered his voice. Ed's voice turned venomous as he spoke the last few words. "What a mistake that turned out to be."

Nate's eyes widened when he saw Ed turn around, and the brown-haired hastily took a few steps back, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping. Ed left the office, slamming the door behind him. At first he didn't seem to notice the group of other teenagers surrounding him. Ed leaned against the door, crossing his arms before freezing. He blinked and looked around, realizing that the five other teens were standing around him.

"Uh, hey, Ed!" Neut greeted the other boy nervously. He smiled somewhat sheepishly at Ed. "We were just passing by," he lied.

"Right," Nate agreed, nodding. "Didn't hear a thing." Ed shrugged, looking down at the ground. He didn't seem bothered by their presence.

"Doesn't matter," he muttered, his accent rolling the words subtly as he scowled at the ground. "Same old, same old." Nate smiled sympathetically, and Virgil stepped up, clapping Ed on the shoulder amiably.

"Come on," Virgil encouraged his friend. "We only have about twelve minutes left for lunch, and you know how Doc Wilcox gets when we're late." Tye huffed, throwing his hands up in the air.

"This is so messed up!" the long-haired boy exclaimed as the teens started down the hallway towards the cafeteria again. "S.T.A.R.'s as bad as the Reach and worse than home." Nate rolled his eyes, half-agreeing with the boy.

"Tye," Neut replied, stopping and putting his hands on his hips. "There's no way this place is as bad as the Reach." Tye shrugged, not backing down from his argument.

"Whatever, Neut," Tye said. "I just know I can't take much more of this place." Virgil stopped at that, placing a hand on Tye's shoulder. He smirked devilishly, and Nate raised his eyebrows. Virgil had become the ringleader of the group, and Nate was guessing whatever he was planning, the others (including himself) would go along with.

"You won't have to," Virigl promised, his lips curling at the corners. "'Cause we're busting out – tonight."

At Virgil's promise, Nate bit his lip, rubbing the back of his neck subconsciously. Honestly, Nate was in a tough spot. Part of him – a _lot_ of him – agreed with the other teenagers. Nate was sick and tired of being a guinea pig for S.T.A.R. Labs. He wanted to see his friends and his mom again.

He was also pissed off about the obvious double-standard that was being demonstrated. Plenty of heroes had been abducted as well – including Sara, and Nate was pretty sure she'd come out with powers from it. He'd never heard of the White Canary using the Canary Cry before he saw her do it on the Reach Ship. And yet, Sara was allowed free.

Nate didn't want to resent his friend, he really didn't. He loved Sara, she was that mocking big sister presence of the entire friend group. He didn't want to be angry with her - but a part of him was. And that resentment and anger fueled his desire to be free from S.T.A.R.

But the other part of him? The other part was interested in the results from S.T.A.R. Labs. Nate preferred history to science any day of the week, but he'd also lived with hemophilia. And now, suddenly, he was _cured_.

Nate didn't think about it constantly or anything – but the other day he'd caught his hip against the side of a table, _hard._ He'd had an automatic reaction of his heart jumping into his throat, thinking that the bruise would be huge and deep and potentially dangerous to his life.

And then he'd remembered – his hemophilia was gone. The bloody nose after being rescued from the Reach hadn't been a fluke – S.T.A.R. Labs had tested him and deemed him "cured" of the disease. It had something to do with his new ability to turn his whole body into steel – the ability that had manifested due to the Reach.

Now, Nate in no way wanted other people with hemophilia to go through what he'd gone through. But if there was a cure for the disease, he wanted to know about it. And he wanted it to become accessible for everyone.

"Nate!" He looked up. The other teenagers were standing at the end of the hallway, looking back at him expectantly. "You coming?" Tye asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy at the other end of the hall. By now, they were all used to his spacing out and forgetting what he was doing.

"Oh, yeah," Nate remembered, jogging down the hallway to meet them. "I'm coming."

* * *

Nate grunted, beads of sweat breaking out over his forehead. It was hours later, after lunch and other individual testing exercises. Now, he and the others were _actually_ exercising. Nate was lifting weights, Tye was spotting for him, and the others were doing various calisthenics and working out on machines.

Nate had never really lifted before. His mom was always freaking out about him getting hurt – she barely let him go to _school_. Other than school, Nate basically just studied and read (a lot) and hung out with his friends.

Most of Nate's friend group wasn't terribly athletic. There were a few exceptions, of course. Jax was the school's starting quarterback, and he ran track in the spring. Sara didn't play any sports, but she was always training, and Mick usually spent several hours a week in the gym. Other than that – Martin played golf, Ray and Nate lifted heavy books, and Zari participated in _hack_ athons.

In short, Nate was pretty much just a skinny, nerdy kid.

So, lifting weights was difficult – but it was also easier than Nate thought it should be. He was able to lift more and had better endurance than anyone thought he would. Something that the scientists were extremely excited about, as they were positive it had something to do with the Meta-Gene.

" _That's enough for today,"_ Dr. Wilcox finally announced. Sighing, Nate lowered the bar down and sat up, stretching his sore arms out. He rubbed his face, beginning to peel off the monitors stuck there. Around him, the sound of beeping machines began to die down. " _We'll begin again promptly at 0600 hours tomorrow."_

Groans chorused through the testing room, and Sam looked around, confused. Before Nate could struggle to explain what had been said, Dr. Wilcox leaned into the microphone again, translating what he'd said before into Japanese for Sam. She listened, and then nodded when Dr. Wilcox finished talking.

" _Domo,"_ she replied, standing up. Dr. Wilcox nodded, satisfied, and left the observing room. The teenagers in the testing lab began to get ready to leave as well.

Neut climbed off the exercise machine he'd been working out on and crossed the room. He stood in front of Virgil, his hands on his hips as he stared at the younger boy sternly.

"Please tell me you're not serious about running," he begged Virgil. Virgil shrugged, unzipping his jumpsuit. It pooled around his sneakers, revealing his blue shirt and dark jeans underneath, and Virgil kicked off the white fabric off his sneakers.

"Running, escaping…whatever you want to call it," Virgil replied, shrugging. "We're gone." He reached under the table he'd been lying on and pulled out a packed duffle bag. Nate looked around. Tye and Ed had stripped off their test suits as well, and Sam was starting to unzip hers.

Nate had a quick internal battle, and then shrugged – he wanted out as well. He could always come back about the hemophilia stuff later - on his _own_ terms.

Unzipping his suit, Nate carefully tucked away the dog tags he wore around his neck underneath his black Henley shirt so that only the chain was visible around his throat.

Neut shook his head as he looked around the room. It was clear that he was the only one who didn't want to leave. He peeled the monitors off his shaved head, trying to convince the others to stay at S.T.A.R. Labs.

"This is serious," he argued. "I nearly blew up Central City! My powers may be gone now," he added. "But what if they come back? You know, escalate out of control all over again?" Neut walked over to Tye, crossing his arms over his chest. "What if _your_ powers escalate?" Neut demanded of the long-haired boy. Tye's shoulders stiffened. "Dude, you can't control them now!"

Neut took a deep breath, controlling his temper, and then lowered his voice. "Look," he said more softly. "I know Wilcox is a pain. I know S.T.A.R. is a pain! But they're trying to keep us safe." Nate shook his head, scowling.

"They're trying to keep the world safe from us," Nate corrected Neut. He shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I think I can handle that on my own." Virgil nodded.

"Agreed," the teen said, with a shake of his head. His dreadlocks slapped against his cheekbones. "I'm outta here." Nate followed Virgil to the door, and he could hear Tye and Ed agreeing. "Sam, you coming?" Virgil asked. Nate pushed the door open with his back and looked at the others in the room. The Japanese girl was still standing in the middle of the room, watching everyone's interactions with interest.

" _Sumenasen?"_ Sam replied, her eyes narrowed in confusion. She looked at Nate hopefully. Nate wasn't sure what she'd just asked, but he could guess that she was a little lost.

"Um…" Nate licked his lips, thinking. " _Saru,"_ he finally said, gesturing to himself, Virgil, Ed and Tye. He pointed at Sam. " _Kuru?"_ Which meant: "leave," and then "come?" It was the best he could do, but Sam seemed to understand well enough. She nodded, smiling.

" _Hai,"_ she replied, agreeing. Tye and Ed walked up to her, and Tye wrapped an arm around Sam's shoulders, gently steering her forward. Ed followed.

Nate grinned, pushing the door open wider so that the others could pass through. Before any of them could actually leave the lab, however, an alarm started to blare. It was loud enough and unexpected enough to make all five teens jump.

Nate's shoulders stiffened, and he peeked back in the room to see what had triggered the alarm - or rather _who_.

Neut was standing by the wall. His brown eyes were narrowed in determination, and his hand as still pressed firmly against the alarm button. Neut shrugged apologetically when he saw their faces.

"Sorry," he said to the other teenagers. "But I can't let you do this." Virgil glanced around, weighing his options. If any of his friends got in trouble for this, he would feel responsible. Virgil looked down the hallway, noting that the coast was clear for now, and then nodded at the others.

"Let's go," he said, nodding once with determination. He led the others down the hallway, towards the door marked "Exit." Virgil reached the door first and slammed into it, trying to open the door. When it didn't open, he pulled back slamming his shoulder into it a few times. The door still didn't budge, and Virgil pulled back, swearing. "The alarm's put the whole place on lockdown!" he cried.

"Great," Tye muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Now what?" Virgil rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think.

"No idea!" he replied, looking back from his friends to the door.

"Well, what was your escape plan?" Ed asked, spreading his hands and staring at Virgil. Virgil's eyes widened, and he scratched his neck, looking a little sheepish.

"I – well, I didn't actually have the chance to come up with a plan," he admitted. The other teenagers looked at him, unimpressed. Virgil shrugged, clearly scrambling for ideas. "But – hey! Ed can teleport us out!" Virgil offered. That was the wrong thing to say – Ed scowled darkly.

"Haven't you been paying attention?" he asked. "I can only teleport myself. And only along sight lines." He waved a hand around them, gesturing to the long, empty hallway. "Which makes escaping from a windowless, locked hallway somewhat difficult!" Virgil nodded, remembering.

"No problem!" he replied, unbothered by Ed's irritation. "Tye will do his thing! He'll take the roof off the building, and pull us all out, right?" Nate sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. If this was a sign to how their escape was going to go after this – that is, _if_ it went after this – he wasn't looking forward to the rest of the night.

"I don't know how to activate my 'thing,'" Tye protested, his eyes wide. He made air-quotes around the word _thing._ "It just happens!" Virgil nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. He looked at Nate hopefully.

"Well, Nate can – "Before Virgil could finish coming up with another "fantastic" plan, Sam cried out in Japanese, pointing over their shoulders.

Nate turned around. Three guards were racing down the hallway towards the teenagers. The one in the middle stopped a few yards away, and the others followed suit. The center guard pointed at the group of teenagers menacingly.

"You kids need to come with us!" he ordered, narrowing his eyes. Nate eyed the guards, curious. He wondered if they'd used brute force against a bunch of teenagers. The runaways exchanged looks, and then Ed smirked.

"Don't think so!" he responded. Light flashed around him as he activated his teleportation abilities. He appeared just behind the three guards. "Behind you!" he taunted. Two of the guards spun around at the sound of his voice. Seeing that Ed was indeed behind them, the two guards rushed forwards towards Ed.

Sam clasped her hands together, grunting. She was activating her _chi_ , and it began to glow around her. With a yell, she projected herself forward, knocking two of the three guards to the ground. The remaining guard leaned down and grabbed her and Ed by the collars of their shirts.

"This is for your own good!" he insisted, looking at the two kids he was holding by their scruffs.

"Heard that before," Virgil scoffed. He reached out, electricity cracking from his palm. He magnetized the fire extinguisher next to the locked door. "Nate, can you do something about the door?" he asked. Nate nodded warily.

"I'll try," he replied. He placed his hands on the bar of the locked door, bracing himself. Taking a deep breath, he focused his mind and concentrated. Nate felt the difference, strength flowing through his body, and he looked down at the back of his hands. They were glinting – he was now made of steel.

Bracing his feet, Nate shoved forward against the door. He could hear the locks and hinges groaning and creaking under the force he was exerting on it. With a shriek of metal against metal, the door flew open and off its hinges, crunching against the dirt outside.

"Got it!" Nate exclaimed, triumphant. He looked back. All three guards were unconscious. "Guys – "Before he could finish, the lights blinked out in the hallway and the alarm stopping blaring.

"It's a power outage!" Virgil exclaimed. The emergency lights had blinked on automatically, illuminating the entire hallway and bathing it in red light. He glanced down at his palm, grinning in mild amazement and surprise. "Hey, maybe I blew the circuit!"

"Yeah, I don't think so," Tye replied, dubious.

"Guys!" Nate called, catching their attention. "Door's open." He glanced at the broken door on the ground and grinned sheepishly. "To say the least." The four other teenagers turned around, and Virgil grinned.

"Awesome!" he cried. "Let's go." Virgil led the group outside, and they took off into the night, leaving S.T.A.R. Labs far behind.

* * *

 **STAR CITY**

 **May 13, 20:03 PDT**

Sara was lying on her bed, attempting to catch up on homework, when her phone rang. She reached for it, checking the caller ID. It was her "work" phone, and the caller was Nightwing. Frowning, Sara clicked to answer the call and held the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she asked, silently wondering why Nightwing was calling her directly instead of radioing everyone over the comms.

" _Canary,"_ Nightwing greeted the girl. " _I need your help. The Reach abductees that were staying at S.T.A.R. Labs have run away. I need you to track them down. Can you head to Taos?"_ Sara bit her lip, standing up from her bed.

"Why me?" Sara asked. She could guess his answer, but she wanted to hear his logic. Sara opened her closet and reached into the back. She pulled out her White Canary suit and tossed it behind her.

As usual, Sara unfortunately hadn't bothered to consolidate her outfit into one place. Looking around, Sara spotted her jacket hanging on the back of her door, and her utility belt and boots flung into the corner of the room.

" _I understand that you are familiar with Nathanial Heywood,"_ Nightwing responded. Sara nodded to herself, as she shucked her shirt off and unbuttoned her jeans, pulling her jumpsuit on. " _I'm hoping that this familiarity will convince him to return to S.T.A.R. Labs, and the others may follow suit."_

"Okay," Sara agreed, shrugging her jacket on. She switched the phone from hand-to-hand as she dressed. "Um…I might need some help. Can Raptor – "

" _Blue Beetle will meet you there,"_ Nightwing replied, cutting Sara's request off. " _Raptor is busy, I'm afraid. Besides,"_ Nightwing added a little sardonically. " _I don't think her personality-type is best suited for a mission as this one."_ Sara giggled slightly; she probably should have thought about that.

"Okay," Sara said again. "I'll radio Blue now."

" _Thank you,"_ Nightwing responded. " _Nightwing out."_ Sara tucked the phone into her utility belt and then checked to make sure all her weapons were there. Upon reassuring herself that they were, Sara slid her window open and ducked out of it.

White Canary landed on the ground easily. She ducked around the backside of her house and headed towards the nearest Zeta Tube. The shadows the moon cast provided adequate cover, although her white jumpsuit practically shone in the dark.

"Canary to Beetle," she radioed her friend. "I'm en-route to Taos via Zeta. ETA is less than two minutes." She waited a few seconds, and Blue Beetle responded.

" _Copy that,"_ he replied. " _I've tracked them to a bus depot – there's some sort of altercation there. Scarab tells me there's a Zeta a block and a half a way."_ White Canary nodded to herself.

"Roger," she said. "See you soon."

* * *

Nate flopped down on one of the benches with a weary sigh. The five teens had ended up at a bus depot. Nate looked around, growing. He was a little on edge – wasn't this one of the first places S.T.A.R. would think to check if they came looking?

Seeming unconcerned or unaware about this, Virgil placed his duffle bag down on the bench next to Nate. He unzipped the blue bag and dug through it. He pulled out a pile of clothes and set it down on the bench.

"I grabbed some of your stuff," Virgil told the others, untangling the pile of clothes. He tossed Tye his brown overshirt, Sam her green vest, and Ed his vest and scarf. Virgil then handed Nate his leather blazer. Nate grinned, pulling the jacket on over his shoulders.

"Thanks, man," Nate said, smiling. Virgil shrugged, pulling on his own jacket.

"Yeah, no problem," he replied before continuing to rifle through his bag. "Ah-hah!" he exclaimed to himself. He produced his blue baseball cap, which he jammed onto his head backwards and a handful of coins. "Be right back," he called, turned around to head back outside.

"Where are you going?" Ed asked sullenly, sitting down on the bench as he wound his scarf around his throat.

"To call my parents," Virgil replied. Before any of the others could protest or express surprise, Virgil had left the building, heading to the pay phone across the street. Nate looked at the others.

Ed had his arms crossed over his chest, looking displeased. Sam didn't seem to understand what was going on, and Nate couldn't think of the words to explain. Tye looked pissed. He walked over to the door, watching Virgil make the call on the payphone. Tye's silvery-blue eyes were narrowed, and once Virgil had returned Tye wasted no time in shouting at the other boy.

"Dude, can't believe you really called your family!" Tye snapped. He turned away, scowling. "No way I'm going back to mine." Nate glanced at the ground. From what he'd gathered, Tye was the only one of them who had truly been in a bad situation.

Nate wasn't sure exactly what Sam's situation was, as he didn't understand enough Japanese for her to explain. And it wasn't as though they had all told everyone everything about their home lives anyways.

But they all knew that Ed had run away from his grandfather's not out of spite or anger, but because he'd wanted to see his dad. Nate had stormed out of his house out of anger at his own father but had always intended to return. Tye, on the other hand, had truly run away. Nate wasn't sure of the details why.

"Look," Virgil said. "I know the Reach was abducting runaways, but with me they got it wrong. I was grabbed while waiting at train station to meet my sister," Virgil explained. "My folks and I – we're good. And they must be worried sick. So, yeah – I called them. I left a voicemail asking them to wire money so that the five of us can buy bus tickets to Dakota City. It's my hometown." Next to Nate, Ed snorted.

"That's your plan?" he asked the other boy. "How are we supposed to find a cure in Dakota City?" Virgil shrugged, walking over to a vending machine.

"No idea," he replied, not paying attention to what the machine was selling. He shot a stream of electricity up the machine, and a drink fell out with a clatter. "Except – I don't really want a cure. I like my powers." He popped the can open and took a swig.

"Dude, don't drink that!" Tye cried, seeing what Virgil was sipping. "It's Reach!" Virgil's eyes widened, and he spat out the beverage. He glanced at the can, scowling.

"Aw, man!" Virgil crumpled the can, his eyes flashing with irritation, and flung the drink away.

"What about the rest of you?" Ed asked, ignoring what had just happened. He looked around. "Don't you want a cure?"

"Not me," Nate piped up. He was idly doodling on a piece of paper he'd found in his jacket pocket.

"Seriously?" Ed asked. Nate straightened up, turning towards the other boy. His eyes were surprisingly serious.

"Dude," Nate said. "This _is_ my cure. I had hemophilia before – if getting rid of this steel thing means that's coming back? I'll keep it _any_ day." Ed huffed, falling silent. His shoulders were a tense, his mouth pressed into a firm line of irritation.

Tye sighed, walking over to the bench as well. He dropped down, curling into a ball against the side of the bench.

"Just wake me when it's time to go," he announced, closing his eyes. The bus depot lobby fell silent except for the sound of Virgil's footsteps and the scratch of Nate's pencil against the scrap of paper.

Suddenly, Sam stood up. She crossed the room, peering out of the glass doors at the empty road. Her eyes widened, and she turned around, pointing out the door.

" _Yabai. Yatsura ga kuru!_ " Ed and Virgil turned to Nate, eyebrows raised. The brown-haired boy sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I don't know," he admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Something, something, something…coming? Come?" Sam sighed. She crossed the room, grabbing Ed and Nate by their shirts and hauling them to their feet. Both boys grunted, surprised by her strength.

Sam shoved them forward and pointed again. Nate's eyes widened – a bunch of S.T.A.R. guards were surrounding the bus depot, and Wilcox was there as well. Ed grabbed Nate by his jacket sleeve and pulled him and Sam down so that they were out of view. He turned towards Virgil.

" _Companero,"_ he addressed the other boy. "Wilcox is here."

"Oh, crap!" Virgil ran across the room. He leaned down, shaking Tye's shoulder. "Tye, Tye! Wake up man, we're in trouble!" Tye didn't even twitch – he was fast asleep. And then, still asleep, he began to glow.

A golden-yellow astral projection took shape around Tye's body. He was floating in the middle of a giant, the figure kneeling on the ground. Nate's eyes widened – he'd seen Tye accidentally trigger his power before a few times before but _never_ this large.

Tye lifted his arms, and the astral projection followed suit, bracing its hands against the stone roof. The figure began to rise, and dust flew around the room, an ominous creaking sound echoing about the lobby.

Realizing what was happening, Nate grabbed Sam and Ed's arms, pulling them away from the edge of the room closer to Virgil in the center. Tye's astral form shoved upwards, and the roof went with it. Debris rained around the edges of the room, right where Sam, Ed, and Nate had been moments before.

Nate watched in abject shock as Tye tossed the roof easily across the street, Wilcox and the guards diving aside to avoid being hit by the stone roof. Some of the guards pulled out firearms, but Dr. Wilcox held his hand up, warning them to hold their fire.

 _Huh,_ Nate thought to himself. _Maybe he_ does _care._

As Nate watched, Tye brought his fist down on something, knocking it out of the air and crushing it into the ground. Nate couldn't see well enough to tell what it was – too large to be a bird, but too small to be a plane.

Tye bent down, easily gathering up all four of his friends in one huge hand. Instinctively, Nate struggled against Tye's grip, but relaxed when he realized that Tye wasn't trying to hurt them. Tye stepped out of the bus depot, and Nate stared wide-eyed at the wreckage around them. His eyes widened further when he saw a flash of white kneeling next to a crater.

" _Sara?"_ Nate breathed out. Most of the others didn't hear him, but Sam flashed him a confused look. Nate just shook his head, tearing his eyes away from his friend. He couldn't deny the flash of anger that shot through him, but it was quickly followed by a stab of guilt. None of this was his friend's fault.

"Tye!" Ed cried, trying to get the other boy's attention as he carried them away.

"I don't think he can hear you," Virgil reminded their friend, glancing at Tye. He was still unconscious – clearly the astral form was responding to his subconscious thoughts.

"I don't know if you _want_ him to hear you," Nate added, eying the ground warily. "We're at least fifteen stories up right now, and if Tye wakes up he could lose focus."

"Right," Ed replied, nodding. His eyes were wide. "I'll shut up." Tye began to run, and the jostling movement shook the four teenagers in his hand up and down. He got them several miles away in a matter of minutes, finally pausing near a forest.

Tye carefully set down his four friends down on the sloped dirt. His astral form knelt down in a sort of praying pose, knees up and hands towards the sky. As Nate watched, the golden silhouette around their friend shrunk until Tye was back on the ground. He was still asleep.

Ed and Virgil caught Tye before his knees buckled, supporting him so that he wouldn't fall. Tye groaned, squinting his eyes shut hard before opening them. He looked around, blinking a few times in confusion.

"How'd I get – "he cut himself off, realizing what had happened. "Ugh," he groaned, lowering his head. "It happened again." He scowled. "I thought I was dreaming," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No dream," an unfamiliar voice said. "Trust me." Nate spun around.

A figure wearing blue armor was descending from the sky, his jetpack glowing from behind his back. When he landed, Nate recognized him. His armor was of the Reach – he was the hero that had helped rescue all of them by fighting off Black Beetle. But Nate was more pre-occupied with looking the girl that Blue Beetle was carrying.

White Canary stepped forward once Blue Beetle had let go of her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes were shining in the dark, and she focused on Nate, giving him a soft smile. Nate looked away, his stomach curling with a strange mixture of happiness at seeing his friend again, irritation at her freedom, and guilt at his irritation.

Nate's conflict must have shown on his face, because Sara's smile faded. She pressed her lips together, disappointed, but she didn't blame her friend for being mad.

Both hereoes raised their hands, showing them that their palms were empty. Nate couldn't see Blue Beetle's face behind the mask, obviously, but the boy's voice was earnest when he spoke.

"We're not here to hurt you," he assured the teenagers in front of him. White Canary nodded.

"But you five need to go back to S.T.A.R.," she told them, business-like and yet sympathetic. Nate scowled, crossing his arms. Sara's eyes flashed to his face, and they tightened with concern.

"Look, I recognize you two," Virgil spoke up, speaking for all the runaways. "I know you're both good guys, some of the heroes that saved us all from the Reach." Tye stepped forward.

"But guys," Tye said, looking from hero to hero. "You just don't get it." White Canary and Blue Beetle exchanged long looks. Blue Beetle sighed, and he stepped forward.

"No, Tye," he replied. "I really do." As Nate watched, wide-eyed, the armor shrunk away around Blue Beetle's body. His face was revealed first – he wasn't any older than Nate was – and then the rest of his body. Next to Nate, Tye stiffened, his jaw dropping as he stared at the hero in front of him.

" _Jaime?"_ Tye asked, bewildered.

"Yeah," Jaime sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's me." Tye shook his head.

"But… _how?"_

"It's a long story," Jaime admitted. He reached down and peeled off his shirt and sweatshirt, turning slightly so that the others could see his now-bare back. There was a blue beetle-like object on his beck. The "pincers" of the thing were stuck into Jaime's skin, appearing to be stuck there. "It started with this Scarab," Jaime explained. "It was created by the Reach to both give me powers and control me. So, believe me _ése_ ," Jaime looked at his friend, his eyes sad. "I get it."

"Same," White Canary added softly, catching the runaways attention. She stepped forward, her blue eyes gleaming under the light of the moon. She was clearly trying to appeal to the teens empathy, and prove that neither she nor Jaime posed a threat. "My mother and sister, the original and current Black Canaries both have the ability to produce a sonic scream. I can't – _couldn't,_ " she corrected herself. "But now I can – the Reach gave me this ability." Sara touched her chest. "I understand." Nate sniffed.

"Sara," Nate said, crossing his arms. The others gave him surprised looks; they clearly didn't realize that he knew her. "Word of advice: you shouldn't follow in your sister's footsteps as a therapist. You don't have the disposition for it." Sara rolled her eyes.

"Nate – "Nate shook his head, refusing to be interrupted.

"You're exactly like us – whatever. But _you're_ running around free and yet still expect us to be lab rats for S.T.A.R." Nate's eyes narrowed, and he shook his head, looking away. His voice was more bitter than he'd anticipated. "That's a double standard if I've ever heard one." Sara shook her head.

"My sister and mother can train me to control it – you guys don't have people like that. I'm sorry, but S.T.A.R. really is the safest place for you guys." Sara looked at the teenagers, but she could see that her point wasn't sinking in. Jaime spoke up, backing Sara up.

"She's right," Jaime agreed. He was addressing all of them, but his eyes were focused on Tye. "You guys need to go back."

"No," Ed said, speaking up. His eyes were fiery with determination. "No more, _hermanos._ Not for the Reach _or_ S.T.A.R."

"He's right, bro," Tye said, looking at Jaime. "You can't take us back there." Sara and Jaime looked at each other again. This wasn't going the way they'd planned it.

"Tye, what's the alternative?" Jaime asked his friend, rubbing his head. He looked at Sara. "We let you run loose until the Reach snatches you up again?" Virgil stepped forward, his arms crossed over his chest.

"No," he said, defensively. "We're headed to my parent's place. They can – "

"What?" Sara cut off the other teen, raising her eyebrows. "Get hurt or killed trying to protect you?" Virgil's eyes widened, and he stepped back. He clearly hadn't thought about that, and he clearly didn't want to put his family in danger. Sara sighed. "Okay," she said finally. "How about this?" Sara took a deep breath. "If you guys go back to S.T.A.R., I'll go with you." Nate's eyes widened. "I'll undergo the same procedures and conditions you guys have to – no exceptions." Sara's eyes met Nate's. "No double standards."

"No," Nate said. Sara raised an eyebrow at him, fixing him with her classic unimpressed look. Nate had been on the receiving end of it many times before, mostly when he got stupid-drunk and was super hungover the next morning. Also that time when he'd been really, _really_ high...

"Nate, you were the one who said – "

"That's not what I meant." Nate waved his hand through the air, cutting his friend off. "I meant that we all wanted freedom, not that we wanted you to be at S.T.A.R. with us." Sara sighed. She rubbed the back of her neck, looking at Jaime.

 _"_ _Tasukete kureru no?"_ Sam asked, breaking the silence that had fallen. The runaways all glanced towards Nate, who shrugged. Sam had spoken way too fast for him to even begin to understand what she was saying. Fortunately, Nate didn't have to translate.

Sara was looking at Jaime expectantly. She was guessing that if the Scarab could translate random alien languages, it could also translate Japanese. She was right.

" _Hai_ ," Jaime responded, nodding at the Japanese girl. Sam's eyes went wide when Jaime responded in Japanese, and she grinned. "I'll help." Tye stared at his friend, his eyes wide.

"Dude," he said, astounded. "You speak Japanese?" Jaime's shoulders hunched; he felt a little awkward. He shrugged uncomfortably.

"The Scarab translates," he responded. Nate's eyes widened. Sara recognized Nate's "I'm curious about something so I'm going to ask and we're going to spend the next fifteen minutes satisfying me curiosity" look so she broke in, averting them from a side conversation.

"Nate," Sara called, catching his attention. He looked at her, and she shook her head. "Don't ask." Nate pouted slightly, but he nodded, realizing that there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Alright," Jaime said, after having thought for a few moments. "New plan. I have this buddy, Green Beetle. He helped me, I think he can help you, too. He's not far from here." Jaime glanced at Sara, waiting for her to agree. She nodded.

"Let's go."

* * *

Jaime and Sara had left the woods behind and were leading the runaways up the empty road when Sara's comm. crackled. She glanced at Jaime, and then pressed down on the radio.

"Nightwing," Sara greeted their leader. "Blue and I are tracking the runaways now." Sara was a good liar, especially since she wasn't face to face with the person she was lying to. Still, Nightwing was a good detective, and Sara was guessing that he'd be able to catch her in her lie. Fortunately, he didn't.

" _Why is Blue's radio down?"_ Nightwing asked, ignoring Sara's update.

"He's out of uniform," Sara replied, glancing at Jaime. "Incognito."

" _Well, tell him to armor up. The robot Red Volcano is attacking S.T.A.R. Taos to steal the parts of an android called Amazo, probably to incorporate its tech."_ Next to Sara, one of the teenagers – she was pretty sure his name was Ed – stiffened, his eyes going wide. Her radio must have been loud enough for him to hear what Nightwing was saying.

"Amazo," Sara repeated, remembering the robot her sister had told her about years ago. "I'm familiar." She pressed her lips together, looking at the group of teenagers behind her nervously. "Um, Blue and I are kind of busy with this runaway thing? We think we're close," she added, hopeful that Nightwing would let Sara and Jaime take care of this before leaving. Sara didn't want to risk anyone else finding the runaways and taking them - either S.T.A.R. or the Reach or someone else entirely.

" _That can wait,"_ Nightwing told her briskly. " _Zeta Tubes are off-line, so only Flash and Impulse could get there fast enough, and they're both rescuing tsunami victims in Rulaysia. You two are the only ones close enough – Nightwing out."_ Sara frowned, taking her hand off the radio. She glanced at Jaime.

"How much did you hear?" she asked.

"Enough," Jaime replied. He turned towards the group of teenagers. "Minor setback," he told them, smiling reassuringly.

"I heard," Ed said, looking at Sara. The other teenagers clearly hadn't, but before Sara could tell Ed to be quiet, he was rushing on. "My dad is at S.T.A.R.," Ed said, his brow furrowed. "Is he okay?"

"I'm sure he's fine," Sara reassured Ed. She glanced at Jaime, whose armor was slowly crawling over his body. "We just have to go sort it out." She fixed the teenagers with a severe look. "Stay put and stay out of sight." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, placing it in Ed's hand. "If something happens, call Blue's number. We'll come find you as soon as we sort this out."

Ed wrapped his hand around Sara's mobile, looking unconvinced. Sara stepped back, and Blue Beetle grabbed onto her arms, wrapping his arms around her securely.

"We'll be back soon," Blue Beetle promised, unfolding his wings and taking to the air. Nate watched them go. Once they were airborne, Blue Beetle's jetpack fired up and the two heroes disappeared from sight. Ed looked down at the phone in his hands, and then up at his friends.

"That guy said that there's an evil robot attacking," Ed told them. "My dad could be in trouble," he said again. Tye scoffed, shaking his head.

"Dude, you _hate_ your dad!" Tye exclaimed. Ed shrugged, defensive.

"O – only sometimes!" he insisted. Nate looked at Ed and nodded. He knew how Ed felt. Hank and Nate didn't get along, but if Hank was in trouble, Nate would do anything to help.

"I know what you mean," Nate told Ed softly. He put his hand on the other boy's shoulder and nodded once. "If you want to go check on him, help him…I'll come with you." Ed smiled, and his shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Same," Virgil spoke up. "If it was my dad, nothing would keep me away." Tye shook his head, and stormed up to the three other boys, his light eyes blazing.

"So, you three want to go back to the exact place we just escaped from?" He looked at them for a few seconds, and then shrugged, dropping his gaze. "Whatever." He looked up, a small smile crossing his face. "I'm in, too." All four boys turned to Sam, who was staring at them in confusion.

" _Nandaka yoku wakaranai kado, ja isshoni ikuwayo!"_ She smiled, giving the boys a thumbs up. As usual, everyone looked at Nate. Nate laughed, shrugging.

"No idea," he admitted, smirking. "But I think the thumbs up is pretty universal."

* * *

The runaways got back to S.T.A.R. Labs in a surprisingly short amount of time. Ed teleported himself short distances at a time, Sam projected herself forward, and Virgil somehow managed to carry both Tye and Nate and levitate the three of them on his electricity without dropping anyone. Honestly, Nate was impressed.

Virgil landed on the ground, his feet sliding against the pavement as he let Tye and Nate unwind their arms from where they'd been holding onto his neck. Nate frowned at the scene in front of them. The building looked entirely undisturbed, no signs of destruction whatsoever.

"It doesn't _look_ like an evil robot is attacking," Virgil commented, frowning. Nate opened his mouth to agree, but before he could form a sentence, the ground beneath him was shaking.

The harsh tremors caused Nate and the others to lose their balance, and all five of them crashed into the ground, hard. Nate propped himself up on his elbow, his eyes wide.

A huge fist was breaking through the ground, and around the dust Nate could just make out a figure balanced on top of the fist. It was Blue Beetle. Nate's heartbeat spiked – where was Sara?

She may have been highly trained, and now she had the Canary Cry, but she was not even close to being invulnerable. Nate hoped she wasn't hurt – or worse. Right before Nate's eyes, Red Volcano threw Blue Beetle forward like he weighed nothing.

The hero landed on the cement ground and lay still. Nate couldn't even tell if he was breathing. The robot slapped his hands together and the ground rumbled again. Cracks appeared around where Blue Beetle was lying, and the slab of pavement sunk into the ground. Nate's eyes widened as the robot slapped his hands together, closing the crevice that the young hero had disappeared into.

"Jaime…" Tye whispered, his eyes wide as he stretched a hand out towards the direction of his friend. Red Volcano looked at the ground in front of him, waiting to see if Blue Beetle would come bursting out. When he didn't, the robot turned around, plodding heavily towards the building.

"We have to save Blue Beetle!" Virgil cried. The others were already rushing forward. Out of the corner of his eye, Nate could see that Virgil was levitating on a manhole cover so that he was floating above the ground.

"How?" Ed asked, pausing by the spiky closure of cement. "I can't teleport where I can't see, and your powers won't be of any use either. Nate's our only option – and who knows how long that'll take?" Virgil didn't respond. Tye knelt next to the spiky asphalt, an odd expression crossing his face.

"I'll save Jaime," he replied. "You guys follow the robot – make sure no one else gets hurt." He glanced at his friends, who hadn't budged. "Go!" he shouted. Sam, Ed, and Virgil snapped into action, but Nate hesitated a second longer.

"You want help?" he asked, eying the ground in front of him. Nate was guessing he could break through it, but it would take a _long_ time.

"No," Tye responded, sounding determined. "Go help the others. Find your friend." Nate nodded.

"Okay," he agreed, turning around and sprinting after the other teenagers. He caught up with them in the Zeta room. Ed was kneeling next to his father, and Sam and Virgil were standing a few feet away.

"Go," Virgil told Ed. He glanced at Nate, who nodded. "We'll run interference."

"Will you now?" a mechanical voice drawled. Nate looked up, and his eyes widened as he saw Red Volcano for the first time.

The robot was bigger than Nate had originally thought from far away; almost twice the height of Nate himself. It was painted bright red, with different symbols engraved over its body.

Sam was the first to snap out of her shock at the sight of their enemy. She pressed her hands together, closing her eyes to focus. Her _chi_ flickered around her, and she shot herself forward.

Usually, Sam was powerful enough to take out people or objects several times her size, sometimes multiple people or objects, without harming herself in anyway. Apparently, this robot was on another level, as Sam bounced off it's chest harmlessly and hit a wall. Sam crumpled to the ground, and instinctively curled on her side to protect herself.

Virgil tried next, electricity crackling around his body. He levitated forward and directed his blast at Red Volcano's chest. The robot simply absorbed the attack, and redirected it at Virgil, knocking the teen backwards.

"My turn, meatbags," the robot said, stepping forward. It raised its fists, but before it could bring them down on Sam and Virgil, Nate stepped forward. Steeling up, Nate caught Red Volcano's arm before it hit his friends.

Gritting his teeth, Nate planted his feet, shoving forwards as hard as he could. The robot was stronger than Nate, even in steel form, but before Red Volcano could gain the upper hand again, something grabbed him and pulled up away from Nate's grip.

Nate stumbled forward at the loss of force, hitting the ground. He looked up, his eyes wide when he realized that Tye's astral form had pulled Red Volcano off of him.

"I'm going to help them," Virgil said, assuming his role as leader once again. "Ed and Sam, you guys help evacuate people. Nate – "

"I'll come help you in a second," Nate interrupted, knowing what Virgil was about to say. "I need to find Sara first." Nate half-expected one of his friends to call him selfish or argue, but Virgil just nodded.

"See you in a few," the teen said, reaching out to bring his manhole lid backwards him. He hopped on it, zooming out of the room.

"You are looking for the girl in white?" Eduardo asked Nate. The scientist was out of breath, and his face was cut-up and bruised. Nate looked at Eduardo and nodded, frowning. Eduardo pointed down the hallway. "She was defending my colleagues in one of the research labs." Nate sighed in relief, glad he wouldn't have to search the entire building.

"Thank you," he said with a heavy exhale, turning on his heel and sprinting out of the room.

Nate was running through the halls when the building started to shake. He dove to the side, looking up at the ceiling in shock. Bits and pieces of the building were crumbling around him. Nate's eyes widened, and he cursed under his breath as he realized his time to find his friend was dwindling.

"Sara!" he shouted.

"Nate?" a voice called back. Nate turned around, trying to locate her voice. He threw the door open to the room next to him. Sara was pinned under a piece of debris. Her face was pale, and her blonde hair was matted around her face with sweat and dirty with dust. Nate gasped when he saw blood trickling down the side of her face – she had a laceration on the hairline. "It's not as bad as it looks," she reassured him. Her eyes were steady and focused on his face, so he believed her. "But I'm stuck," Sara finished, her teeth grit.

"Okay." Nate placed his hands under the piece of rock pinning Sara to the ground. He closed his eyes, focusing, and felt the rush of strength run through his body. Nate heard Sara gasp in surprise, and Nate heaved the rock off of her, throwing it to the side.

"Wow," Sara smirked teasingly as she carefully pushed herself up, wincing a little. "A hero in shining steel. Amaya should be jealous." She gasped when Nate pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arm around her waist to support her. "You're gonna – you're gonna get all the chicks now."

"Shut up," Nate said, smiling softly at the mention of his girlfriend. Another wave of tremors hit the building and Nate started walking forwards. "We need to get out and help everyone out, Volcano must be doing something to destabilize the building."

"No," Sara said suddenly. She tipped her head to the side, listening to the ringing sound that had started when the tremors had. An odd expression crossed her face. "That's – that's Blue's sonic." She looked at Nate, her eyes wide. With some amount of difficulty, she stood up on her own. "I need to get out there," she announced. "Can you continue evacuating people?" Nate nodded, bewildered. The building's instability was the _hero_ 's doing?

"Okay," he agreed, but Sara had already left the room.

Nate ran through the hallways, making sure all rooms were clear. He saw Virgil coming, levitating two scientists on his manhole cover with him. Nate could also see that a large part of the ceiling was about to collapse, just behind Virgil.

Nate threw himself behind his friend and the bystanders, catching the rock before it could hit them. He crushed it in his arms, letting it fall to the ground in harmless pieces of gravel.

"Thanks, man!" Virgil shouted his gratitude over his shoulder. "Ed's leading more out behind me, but other than that I think that's everyone."

"I'll cover them," Nate responded, heading down the hallway. Sure enough, Ed was directing several S.T.A.R. guards down the hall. Just before they reached the door, the ceiling caved in. Nate jumped backwards, slamming into Ed, and both boys fell to the ground.

"Everyone okay?" Ed shouted, helping Nate up. The guards murmured their responses, and Ed turned to Nate. "Can you get us out?" Nate eyed the barrier between them and the door.

"Yeah," he replied. "Stand back." He stepped forward, slamming his fists into the rock. When it crumbled around him, he reached out, catching as many of the falling pieces as he could. After a few moments of careful punching (now _that_ was an oxymoron) Nate formed a tunnel for them to go through, pressing his back against the side of the tunnel to stop it from caving in again. "Go," he commanded everyone through grit teeth, straining to hold the rock back. "I'll be right behind you."

Ed nodded, waving the guards through first before ducking through the tunnel himself. Once everyone else was through, Nate jumped after them, letting the rock crumble to the ground after him. Once outside, he and the others regrouped next to the building. Blue Beetle and White Canary were still fighting.

Red Volcano crashed out of the sky, landing on the ground several yards from the runaways. He glanced at them and reached a hand out. At first, Nate wasn't sure what the robot was trying to do. Then, the cement around his feet liquified and sealed Nate inside of a cement fist. He struggled inside of it, unable to move.

"Now," Red Volcano addressed White Canary and Blue Beetle in front of him. "Time to sacrifice your victory and save the meatbags like a good hero." White Canary skidded to a halt, gritting her teeth.

"Beetle," she called. "Keep Red busy. I got the run- " Sara didn't get the chance to finish her sentence. Red Volcano flicked his wrist, and the ground beneath her rose up and catapulted Sara across the parking lot.

"You really shouldn't stereotype," Blue Beetle sneered at Volcano, callously ignoring what had happened to his teammate. A cannon emerged from his chest, and he fired at Red Volcano, knocking him backwards.

Without even sparing a glance at the captured runaways, Blue Beetle flew after Red Volcano, pummeling his enemy into the ground mercilessly.

Nate scowled, steeling up again and breaking the rock around him so that he dropped to the ground. Nate brushed dust off of his coat and shirt and then looked up. The others had also escaped from the cement.

Once they were on the ground, Ed turned towards Tye, scowling.

"Your friend was about to sacrifice us!" he accused Tye. The long-haired boy didn't answer, but his eyes were wide with shock as he turned to face the battle again, watching his friend. Tye's expression was distant as he watched Blue Beetle fight with everything he had.

"You guys okay?" Sara called, running up to them. Nate nodded, taking in his friend's haggard appearance. She was bruised and bloody, and her uniform was ripped in several places.

"Are _you_?" he asked her. She grimaced, looking at Blue Beetle.

"I'll be fine," she replied brusquely. She looked at the group of runaways again, her eyes grateful. "Thank you for evacuating everyone," she said. "I really appreciate it."

" _No problema,"_ Ed responded for all of them, shrugging as though it was nothing. In reality, Ed and the other runaways were proud of themselves.

"Are you going to help Jaime?" Tye asked, looking at his friend struggling against Red Volcano. Sara scowled.

"My abilities are less-suited for an enemy like this than Blue's are," she replied, sounding a little disappointed at the truth of her statement. "And he's not in a cooperative mood right now, so I can't do much." She looked at the fight again, her eyes narrowed. "Right now, I'm just getting in his way. I think he can handle it." Nate looked at Sara and wondered with a flash of anger if any of her injuries were from her teammate.

White Canary frowned at Blue Beetle. The other hero had always been aware of his teammates during battle, making sure that they were on the same page so they could coordinate their attacks. He was careful, and he was always concerned about his teammates when they got hit or injured.

Tonight, however, Beetle was not only extremely aggressive towards their enemy, he was downright callous towards White Canary and the bystanders. The only reason he'd stopped firing at the building was because Canary had hit Volcano aside so that the building was not longer in Beetle's line of fire.

Not only had he ignored that his cannon was destabilizing the building, endangering bystanders, Blue Beetle had also gone so far as to hit Canary with his cannon when he was aiming for Red Volcano because she was in his way. He could have not fired, or at least called out to warn her to move, but he hadn't bothered.

White Canary was at a loss as to why he was acting this way, but she didn't like this new side of Blue Beetle.

* * *

White Canary was standing with the runaways when Blue Beetle flew up to them. The battle was over; Blue Beetle had won. Red Volcano was lying in pieces strewn around the parking lot, and S.T.A.R. Taos was crumbled.

Clearly, the aggression and adrenaline were still running through Blue Beetle's veins, because when he landed in front of them, he spoke in a very demanding and rude tone of voice.

"Done," he announced, stating the obvious. "Now we need to get you to Green Beetle." Blue Beetle was practically shouting at the other teenagers.

White Canary looked at the runaways, watching them for their reactions. None of them looked terribly excited at the prospect of going to Green Beetle anymore.

"Jaime," Tye began, sounding almost nervous. "I'm not sure –"

"Tye, this is not up for debate!" Now Blue was _definitely_ shouting. "We need to go _now!"_ Before anyone could argue with him, a bunch of reporters came running up.

"Excuse me!" they shouted, managing to catch Blue Beetle's attention. He turned away from the other teenagers to address the reporters, but White Canary hung back – she preferred to not be on the news, especially anywhere outside Star City.

As Blue Beetle began to answer the reporters' questions, White Canary motioned to the runaways and led them away.

"Look," she said to them once they were a safe distance from the cameras and microphones. "I'm not allowed to let you guys go. My mission was to take you guys back to S.T.A.R. Labs, and obviously this one is destroyed, but I need to get you to another." White Canary studied their faces, and then sighed.

She had seen the way they'd handled themselves tonight – saving others even when the heroes didn't. All of them seemed in control of their powers, and they seemed to get along will. White Canary made up her mind quickly – she was going to let them decide what they wanted to do.

"That being said," she added, looking around slyly. "While Blue is busy kissing up to the public, someone needs to talk to the police." She arched an eyebrow. "I'd prefer if you guys stay here, and I'll be sure to tell them what you guys did – give the credit where it's due." She smirked, and then shrugged. "I mean, if you were to disappear while I was doing another important part of my job, I guess I can't really do anything about it now, can I?"

The runaways all looked up, their eyes wide at Canary's decision. None of them had been expecting her to let them go.

"Really?" Virgil asked, his eyes wide and hopeful. White Canary sighed, but she was smiling as she nodded her head. She was sure about her decision, even if it was her ass on the line.

"Yeah, won't you get in trouble for screwing up?" Nate asked his friend, worried about her. White Canary smiled. She stepped forward, hugging Nate hard. She pulled back, and then shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe sometimes we screw things up for the better," she commented with a smirk.

"That's a good motto," he mused, thinking of their friend group and their wild antics fondly. "We should use that." Sara laughed, and stepped back.

"Well," she said, arching an eyebrow. "I'll be back." She flashed them a cheeky grin. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

* * *

Virgil led them all back to the bus depot, despite his friends' protests. The place was completely destroyed from Tye's astral form taking the roof off. Tye sighed, sitting down on a piece of rubble and looking at the ground.

"Trust me," Virgil said, reassuring their friends that they wouldn't be found. "This is the one place they'll never think to look." Virgil paused, and then added, "I mean, a second time." Tye sighed again.

"I'm done running," he muttered, his shoulders slumped with exhaustion. Nate sat down as well, leaning back so that his back was pressed against the ground. He closed his eyes, silently agreeing with Tye. Nate was sick and tired of running.

" _Yo también,"_ Ed agreed. "Now what?" All four boys exchanged looks, and together chorused the two words that had been uttered a lot that night: "No idea."

" _Sumenasen!"_ Sam cried, pointing forwards. Nate sat up so he could see what she was pointing at. A car had just pulled up at the site of the ruined bus depot.

"I really need to figure out what that word means," Nate muttered to himself - Sam used it a lot. Virgil hummed, looking back at Sam.

" _Sumenasen,"_ he repeated thoughtfully. "Means…trouble?" Sam looked at Virgil and shrugged, smiling.

"No idea!" she said cheerfully, her English heavily accented. She grinned, shooting the boys two thumbs up. Nate smiled, and he stood up, ready to face whoever had arrived.

A woman wearing a suit jacket and a pencil skirt got out of the driver's seat. She walked around to the back of the car, sliding it open.

A man got out, his bald head shining in the moonlight. He was dressed impeccably, and judging by both his outfit and the car, he was rich. He looked familiar…but Nate couldn't quite figure out why.

Fortunately, Virgil remembered it for him.

"Hey," Virgil exclaimed, his eyes wide as he stared at the approaching figure. "You're Lex Luthor!"

"In the flesh," Lex Luthor replied. "And you would be: Virgil Hawkins, Asami Koizumi, Eduardo Dorado, Nathanial Heywood, and Tye Longshadow." Nate's eyes widened when Lex Luthor listed all their full names, and he frowned.

"You – know us?" Tye asked, stepping forward. He seemed just as confused as Nate was.

"Know you?" Luthor chuckled amiably, smiling at Tye in an amused manner. "My boy, I've been watching over you for weeks. Even arranged the power outage that helped facilitate your escape from S.T.A.R., not to mention the timely arrival of the press, which enabled you and White Canary to evade Blue Beetle. The latter, as you might have guessed, has become an agent of the Reach." Ed and Nate exchanged a look – Luthor's words didn't add up.

"But…you work with the Reach," Ed pointed out, stating exactly what Nate was thinking. "You make their _refresco,_ their…" Ed tried to think of the English word. "Beverage." Nate nodded.

"Not to mention the fact that Sar – White Canary _let_ us go," Nate added, crossing his arms. Luthor chuckled again.

"True on both accounts," he said. "Canary would have had to talk to the police either way, but I suspected she might have a change of heart once she saw you in battle. As for the Reach, I've come to suspect that they've been using me for their own ends. And I think you know what that feels like." The runaways exchanged looks, but none of them said anything. Perhaps sensing that they were skeptical, Luther sighed dramatically. "It's a dangerous world," he lamented. "Fortunately, I have the resources to protect you." He walked forward, so that he was in the middle of the cluster of teenagers.

"Yeah," Virgil scoffed, stepping forward. He jutted his chin up in a challenge. "Heard _that_ before. What do you _want_?"

"To empower you," Luthor answered. "Not Meta powers," he added. "You're doing just fine on that front. Instead, I want to help the five of you finally take control of your own destinies." He walked up to Sam, who was standing with her head bowed. " _Kimi no chikara ni, naritainda,_ " he translated into Japanese. She looked up, her eyes wide with confusion.

"Ah… _domo?"_ she thanked him, sounding hesitant. Luthor walked a little way away, and then turned back.

"There's no pressure, my friends," Luthor reassured them. "I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do. But I'm hoping you can trust me. What do you say?" Nate turned to his friends, and all five runaways exchanged a long look.

They'd been lied to and tricked so many times that all of them were wary. But Luthor's argument was convincing.

None of them were sure what to think.

* * *

 **this. chapter. is. SO LONG.**

 **karla is not in this chapter...i feel like that's low-key a faux pas on the part of the author to not put their main character in a chapter. oh well.**

 **also if anyone is curious: most, if not all, of the facts about nate in this chapter are canon to legends of tomorrow on the cw: for example, the stuff about his grandfather and nate knowing japanese (he's actually fluent in the show but that made it too easy). i think i made the stuff about "heroics in your blood" up, but everything else should be canon. sara and nate's conversation about screwing things up for the better is also canon to legends, except the dialogue was flip-flopped (nate spoke first and sara was the one who that should be our motto).**

 **if anyone's curious, there will be a post-season two story line at the end of the episode arc. i will add it onto this story, and (i say this hopefully, not knowing what the hell season 3 will be about) it will bridge karla's story over to season 3. so...yeah.**

 **please leave a review! i love hearing your thoughts; it makes my day. :)**

 **thank you!**


	13. War

**To KingPenguinJG: No problem :) and thank you - even though I love the Runaways, I can see how others might not. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter anyways. Also yes, I know season 3 won't be around for a while...which is very sad. I think maybe I'll just take a break from this story until season 3 airs? but who knows - maybe I'll get inspiration for one-shots or something.**

 **To Guest: I love the Runaways as well! Jason Karla and Jaime will have some, uh...SPOILERS. hehe. you'll see in a few chapters time! And here is the next chapter :)**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Karla.**

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **April 12, 03:37 EDT**

Karla flipped over in bed, sighing. Her eyes roamed around the room, finally landing on her alarm clock on the bedside table. The red numbers seemed to glare at her, and Karla groaned. She'd been trying to get to sleep for since midnight, but to no avail. Karla grabbed her pillow and pulled it over her face, groaning out loud again.

Sighing, Karla sat up and tossed her pillow aside. She leaned over and flicked on her bedside lamp, squinting against the brightness that suddenly illuminated her room. Resigning herself to the fact that she wasn't going to get to sleep anytime soon, she went over to her desk and logged onto her laptop.

Karla tapped in her password, her fingers flying over the keyboard. She sat back in her chair and watched as the screen loaded up. Once it was open, Karla went to open her Internet browser when something caught her eye. There was a plug-in on the bottom right corner of her desktop that she didn't remember.

Frowning, Karla clicked on the plug-in. A page opened up, and Karla's eyes widened. _Now_ she remembered. This was the data she'd collected from the temple from mission in Bialya _months_ ago. She'd never finished analyzing and translating it.

Karla stole a glance at the clock again and then shrugged.

If nothing else, it was something to do.

Karla leaned in closer to the screen, sliding her mouse around to spin the three-dimensional picture of the temple around. She focused in on one of the corners, assuming that that was where the words started and began to translate.

Three hours later, Karla sat back and rubbed her eyes, frustrated. She'd been googling and researching and cross-referencing forever. Still, she probably had translated only every third word on the top half of _one_ wall.

Groaning, Karla dropped her head into her hands on her desk. She looked at the clock through her curtain of hair, scowling. She'd gotten basically _nowhere,_ and now she needed to get ready for school.

Sighing, Karla stood up. She'd have to finish this later.

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **May 23, 21:32 EDT**

Karla was doing fine after she and Jaime had broken up – if you could call it breaking up when they'd barely had a relationship. Really, she was.

At least, that's what the was convincing herself of as she wound her fingers through the long, slightly tangled hair of the girl straddling her waist – Annabelle? Yeah, Annabelle. That was her name.

Yeah – Karla was doing _great_. She definitely wasn't hooking up Annabelle to try to get her mind of Jaime, no way. She didn't care that Jaime had ended things with her; she'd deserved it. (Well, that second part was true). This had just – happened. _Coincidentally._

Right?

Annabelle hummed against Karla's lips, and broke apart from Karla so that the two girls could breathe for a second. She pressed either hand against Karla's hips, pinning the girl into the bed. Karla smirked up at Annabelle, rolling her head back and exposing her neck, which was now sporting several hickeys. Annabelle groaned.

"Damn," she muttered, shifting slightly before leaning back down to kiss Karla again. Karla grunted, making a face before kissing Annabelle back.

"Your lipstick tastes like shit," Karla muttered, her lip curling with disgust. She swiped her tongue over her teeth, cringing as she tried to get the taste of chemicals out of her mouth.

"Oh, baby," Annabelle crooned sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "You say the most romantic things." Karla snorted very attractively.

Before anything could escalate further – either a fight or sex – Karla's phone rang. Groaning in frustration, the dark-haired girl slammed her head back against the couch armrest. Annabelle sat back, raising her eyebrows expectantly as Karla picked up the phone.

It was Dick calling. Scowling, Karla answered her brother's call, tapping her finger on the button for "accept call." She held her phone to her ear.

"Fuck off," she said as a way of greeting. Annabelle snickered from above Karla, covering her mouth her hand. Karla's eyes trailed over Annabelle's hands, admiring her long fingers. Her lips parted as she idly wondered what could be done with those.

Then Karla remembered she was on the phone with her brother and wrinkled her nose. Definitely not the best time to be thinking about _that._

"Hello to you, too," Dick replied drily, used to Karla's abrasive mannerisms. "Turn on GBS news." Karla sighed. She leaned around Annabelle, blindly groping for the remote. Once she had it in her hand, she pointed the remote at the TV and clicked it on.

The screen flickered to life, displaying Cat Grant in the news station. The woman's face was serious, her tone of voice grave as she reported on what was happening. Karla's mouth fell open, her lips parting as she sat up slowly. Annabelle shifted off Karla's legs, turning her attention to the TV screen as well.

" _There's panic across the country and around the world,"_ Cat Grant reported, her eyes tense with concern. " _What NASA calls an encroaching planetary body is already having a gravitational impact on the Earth."_ The picture next to Cat Grant's face shifted from showing the second "moon" to a picture of Aquaman assisting civilians.

" _Tides have altered, and so-called mini tidal waves have become commonplace,"_ Grant continued. " _The U.S. Weather Service is advising the populace to stay off the water and move inland from the coast lines. And it appears that this is only the beginning."_

Annabelle reached out, grabbing the remote and muting the TV. Her hands were shaking as she lowered the remote back down to the table. She turned to Karla, her eyes wide with fear and shock, and Karla swallowed hard.

"Thanks, Dick," Karla said, just remembering that she was still on the phone. She chewed her lip, glancing at Annabelle as she tried to figure out how to phrase her next words without tipping the other girl off. "Where are you?" Karla finally said.

 _"_ _Warehouse,"_ Dick replied. " _Meet here as soon as possible,"_ Dick responded. The line clicked silent, and Karla looked up at Annabelle, chewing her lower lip slightly.

"Oh my god," Annabelle whispered. She hunched forward, her shoulders curling in. Karla reached out and took Annabelle's hand.

"It's going to be okay," Karla soothed the other girl. "I'm sure the Justice League is already working on it." She squeezed Annabelle's hand comfortingly, and the other girl looked up. Her brown eyes were shining with tears.

"I – I should probably get home," Annabelle said, her voice catching. She crossed her arms tightly across her chest, and swallowed hard.

"I'll walk you," Karla said. She was a little concerned – it was late at night, and Annabelle was clearly shaken. Besides, if Karla was remembering correctly, Annabelle lived closer to the Warehouse than Karla did, so it was on her way anyways. Annabelle nodded, looking a little relieved. She smiled at Karla shyly.

"Thanks," she whispered. Karla smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner and then stood up, offering her hand to Annabelle, who took it.

The two girls left Karla's apartment and descended onto the streets of Blüdhaven, where they were met with something resembling chaos. Traffic was backed up, probably due to people in shock. Some people were out on the streets, taking pictures of the second "moon," and others Karla could see running indoors and locking their homes up tight.

Beyond that, there was the typical amount of random druggies and weirdos who roamed the streets at night. Karla wasn't afraid of any of them, but Annabelle clearly was. Every time someone screamed, Annabelle's shoulders shrunk.

It only took the two girls about ten minutes to walk to Annabelle's apartment building. Karla stood by while Annabelle punched in the code to unlock the gate. Annabelle opened the gate, but before leaving, she turned to look back at Karla. Annabelle smiled at the other girl.

"Thanks for walking me," Annabelle murmured, taking Karla's hand and pulling Karla close to her. Annabelle was taller, and she leaned down slightly so that their faces were only inches apart. Karla tried not to flinch, hoping that she hadn't sent the wrong signal by offering to walk Annabelle home. She had just wanted the other girl to be safe, not to start a relationship with her.

"Uh, yeah. Of course," Karla muttered awkwardly, taking her hand back and shoving it her pocket. Karla took a few steps back, and Annabelle raised her eyebrows. "Bye, Annabelle," Karla said. Annabelle's eyebrows creased, and she stared at Karla in mild confusion, probably wondering about Karla's odd shift in mood. For some reason, she also looked unimpressed. "I'll see you in school?" Karla offered, trying to get away. Annabelle rolled her eyes.

"Bye, Karla," Annabelle muttered, turning around to go. She stopped suddenly, and then looked back over her shoulder. "By the way," Annabelle added, her voice just a little bit too cold to be conversational. "My name is Amanda _._ "

The gate slammed shut behind Amanda with a loud _clang_ , and the girl stalked off towards her building. Her shoulders were tight, and her posture was stiff with irritation.

Karla stood there. She could hear Raptor snickering in the back of her mind - as usual, the asshole took joy in Karla's social awkwardness.

"Fucking hell," Karla muttered to no one in particular as she swept a hand through her hair.

* * *

From Anna – _Amanda's_ house, it only took six minutes for Raptor to get to the Warehouse. Apparently, those six minutes plus the ten-minute walk to Amanda's was too long for Nightwing. When Raptor reached the Warehouse, he was waiting in the briefing area to scold her.

"You're late," he deadpanned, scowling at his sister as she entered the room. Raptor looked around. The Warehouse was empty, so if Nightwing was upset at her for being late, all the others were on the BioShip already. Which meant that Raptor was _really_ late.

"I was helping a citizen," she responded, shrugging. Well, that wasn't a _lie_ , per say.

"Helping," Nightwing repeated, raising his eyebrows. "Right." He sounded unconvinced and unimpressed. Raptor stared at him, confused at his obvious disbelief. She wasn't _that_ bad of a hero that she wouldn't stop to help someone in need.

"What?" she asked blankly, trying to decide if she should be offended. Before she could, Nightwing rolled his eyes.

"Go suit up," he told her. "Meet in the BioShip."

Raptor shrugged, heading over to where she'd stashed her spare uniform. She had no idea why her brother seemed so annoyed. He knew it was about a fifteen-minute walk from their apartment to the Warehouse.

It was only when Raptor got into the bathroom and looked in the mirror that she realized. She was wearing a regular t-shirt and had left her usual bomber jacket at home. Which meant her neck was fully exposed – which meant that Nightwing had totally seen the hickeys that Amanda had left.

Which meant that Nightwing _totally_ thought she'd been hooking up with someone instead of responding to his orders and going to the Warehouse. Which was very, very embarrassing.

"I hate everything," Raptor muttered decisively, peeling her shirt over her head and grabbing her uniform. She dressed quickly, still grumbling to herself as she pulled on her gloves and then strapped her utility belt on. She snatched up her gauntlet and began to attach it to her glove as she kicked the bathroom door open.

Once Raptor had suited up, she headed over to the where Miss Martian the BioShip had been parked. Nightwing was waiting outside. The gang plank was already lowered. When Nightwing saw Raptor coming, he turned to enter the ship, most likely to tell whoever was piloting to take off.

"Nightwing," Raptor called, jogging up to meet him. He glanced at her, looking amused. Raptor scowled at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "I swear I wasn't doing – whatever after you called."

"Uh huh," Nightwing replied, entering the cockpit. He sounded unconvinced. Nightwing nodded at the clone at the head of the ship."Superboy, we're all aboard," the leader announced.

"I wasn't," Raptor insisted under her breath, slinking over to her seat and sliding down into it. White Canary turned around to look at her, raising her eyebrows.

"Nice of you to show up," White Canary teased her friend. Raptor flipped the blonde off, leaning her head back against the seat.

So far, this mission was off to a _bad_ start.

* * *

After dropping Nightwing off at the Watchtower so he could run the Team's attack from there, Superboy piloted the BioShip so that it could dock onto the War World. Blue Beetle was bypassing the security with the help of his Scarab, his fingers flying over the controls that the BioShip had provided.

"We're in," Beetle announced after a few tense moments of silence. Superboy nodded, docking the BioShip to the bay of the War World.

"Move out," he ordered. Everyone got off the BioShip except for Raptor, Robin, and Batgirl. The three Bats made up Delta Squad; they were helping to lay down cover fire for the Justice Leaguers in space around them.

Robin moved to the helm of the BioShip, placing of his hands on either of the glowing orbs to steer the ship. Batgirl took over the controls for the weapons of the BioShip, and Raptor was pulling up a screen so that she could track the Team's movements from inside the BioShip. She was also in charge of communication.

As she pulled of a lateral map of the War World, three blinking dots appeared on each screen to signify each squad currently in the War World. Currently, they are all stationed in the docking bay where they'd been dropped off, but as Raptor watched the three blips began to move in different directions.

Alpha Squad, which consisted of Superboy, Arsenal, Wonder Girl, and Wolf, was launching a direct attack at Mongul. Beta Squad was Blue Beetle, Impulse, and Beast Boy, and the three were going to the crystal key chamber. The crystal key powered the entire War World, so getting it offline was essential. Gamma Squad was Bumblebee, Guardian, White Canary, and the Super-Cycle. The four were attempting to shut down the power core.

Over the comms., Raptor could hear the various squads announcing their positions, and then a few minutes later reporting that they'd been discovered. Raptor's masked eyes scanned the screen in front of her anxiously. She couldn't tell how her teammates were faring, but she could see that Alpha had made it to Mongul's chambers.

Raptor couldn't do much from the BioShip – all she could do was watch her friends and try to protect them.

"Raptor," Batgirl said. Raptor looked up and the older girl pointed to the computer in front of them. "See if the BioShip can calculate how much of an affect we're having on the War World. Report to Nightwing."

Raptor nodded, her eyes re-focusing on the BioShip. She swiped the screen with the Team's positions aside to make room for her new data.

The acrobat began to plug the War World's schematics into the computer of the BioShip. The alien ship took note of all its weapons and the current attacks the death star was launching on Earth. Pretty soon she had a rough estimate of their effectiveness. Raptor's eyes skimmed over the result, and then she reached up to communicate the BioShip's finding to the Watchtower.

"Delta to Watchtower," she radioed the League's space shuttle. "BioShip estimates that Fate, the League, and Delta are neutralizing sixty-four percent of the War World's saturation attack at the source." Raptor bit her lip, scanning the data once more. "It's not enough," she continued. "Any ideas?"

" _Watchtower estimates that Earth's military_ _forces will neutralize a further thirteen percent,"_ Aquaman replied over the radio. Raptor did some quick mental math, and then shook her head.

"That leaves twenty-three percent unaccounted for!" she exclaimed. She turned to glance at Batgirl. The elder hero remained silent, but Raptor could see tension in the tightness around her eyes and mouth.

Raptor swallowed, and her gaze landed back on the screen that was tracking the Team's movements.

"Hurry," she murmured quietly.

* * *

"Gamma Squad is en route to disable the War World's power core," Bumblebee reported for Gamma Squad. White Canary grinned.

"No power," the blonde added from where she was perched in the Super-Cycle. "And the threat ends."

Bumblebee was flying alongside the Super-Cycle, which Mal – uh, _Guardian_ was steering. White Canary was in the back of the Super-Cycle, keeping an eye on Gamma's six to make sure they weren't being pursued.

At first, the coast was clear. Pretty soon, unfortunately, an army of bots began swarming the squad. They were shaped like rhombuses, and they were shooting lasers at the squad. Canary couldn't tell what was controlling them, which meant that the only possible attack was to destroy each one individually.

"Incoming," Canary warned, standing up in the Super-Cycle. She reached into her utility belt and pulled out several stun guns, which doubled as deactivators when it came to machines. She began to shoot down the bots, hitting her targets dead-on every time.

White Canary didn't _love_ guns, but it was sometimes nice to have an alternative to her staff. Plus, her sonic scream was still kind of shaky.

 _"_ _Beta to Watchtower,"_ Blue Beetle's voice crackled over the comms. " _We've been spotted!"_ Canary frowned. She'd been uneasy around Beetle ever since Taos, but he sounded normal today – not super aggressive, that is.

"Fine by me!" Guardian shouted. "I _like_ the attention." He flipped the Super-Cycle around, and White Canary stumbled, fighting to regain her balance. She turned around and jumped forward one seat, shooting the bots down over Guardian's head. "At least a big alien death moon notices when I'm around." White Canary frowned. She had no idea what Guardian was talking about. Bumblebee cleared it up for her.

"Was that a slam at me?" the miniaturized hero asked, incredulous. She shook her head at her boyfriend. "In the middle of a mission?"

"Woman, when are you _not_ in the middle of a mission?" Guardian snapped, starting to fire at the bots. White Canary rolled her eyes.

"This is going to be interesting," she muttered under her breath. She took a step back, judging the distance and then ran forward, springing off of the seat in front of her so that she could get airborne.

White Canary flipped over Guardian's head, landing on one of the robots and clinging on for dear life. The bot dipped in the air under Canary's unexpected weight, and then hummed beneath her menacingly.

Canary grabbed the bot, grunting as she strained to rotate it the way she wanted. As she aimed it carefully at another robot, the bot Canary was on fired, effectively destroying the other robot.

"Coming up on the power core!" Guardian shouted to his teammates. Canary glanced at the entrance to the power core and then jumped down, rolling onto her shoulder so that she landed easily. White Canary pulled her gun back out, shooting down the robot she'd been riding. Guardian hopped out of the Super-Cycle and landed next to her, Bumblebee floating in the air close by.

Sphere hummed, spinning around so that she could cover the squad's backs, shooting the robots down that were quickly descending the vertical corridor that the sqyad had left behind. Guardian looked at the Super-Cycle, smirking.

"Super-Cycle's got our backs!" he reported to the two girls. "Love a lady I can _count_ on!" he shouted as he and Canary ran after Bumblebee's flight path. White Canary scoffed under her breath, rolling her eyes.

"All right, I get it!" Bumblebee snapped. "I'm a bad girlfriend. Now quit pouting!"

"Who's pouting?" Guardian asked, incredulous. "I'm not pouting!" White Canary rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe the couple was choosing right now to fight.

"Hey, guys," she ventured sarcastically. "Unlike my sister, I'm not a licensed therapist. So, if you guys could do this somewhere else? Some _time_ else? That would be great." The couple glared at her, and Canary raised her hands in surrender. "Just sayin'."

"Whatever," Guardian huffed. "Let's just blow this place and go!" Bumblebee snorted from above the two other heroes. The miniaturized heroine pulled to a stop in front of her boyfriend and the other heroine.

"Uh, we can't just 'blow this place,'" she informed them. "It would destroy the entire War World and take half of Earth with it! We need to follow the plan and shut the core down." White Canary nodded, opening her mouth to agree. Before she could get a word in edgewise, Guardian was speaking again, taking another opportunity to shout at his girlfriend.

"Well, thank you for explaining the obvious to your _idiot_ boyfriend," he practically spat. White Canary's eyes widened. Guardian shook his head in disgust. "Just deal with the science and get it done."

"What?" Bumblebee said, astounded by her boyfriend's explosion. "I never said you were – ugh. Never mind." As White Canary watched, her blue eyes still very wide, Bumblebee flew higher in the air and entered the power core. Her voice sounded in Canary's ear, crackling over the comm. " _Entering power core now."_

As Bumblebee disappeared from sight, so did Guardian's anger. With a sigh, the man's broad shoulders sagged. Guardian looked at the place his girlfriend had been moments before sadly.

"Good luck, beautiful," he murmured quietly. Silence lapsed over White Canary and Guardian. Despite the sounds of metal against metal and Sphere's usual hums and whirs, the next few moments seemed very, very quiet. After a few moments of tense silence, White Canary sighed, and then spoke up.

"Um, so are we both going to pretend that ignoring whatever just happened wasn't very awkward and worrisome?" White Canary asked, cocking an eyebrow as she looked at Guardian expectantly. The other hero had the decency to looked chagrined. He shrugged, and then sighed.

"I'm sorry," he apologized to the younger girl, looking abashed. "I didn't mean to blow up at her like that during a mission – or at all – it's just…" Guardian trailed off, shrugging. "I never see her anymore. I feel like she's moved on." Guardian shook his head. "No, that's not it. She hasn't moved on, she's just…grown up. I feel like I'm holding her back."

White Canary grimaced. She didn't know Mal or Karen all that well, and giving relationship advice in general wasn't exactly her forte. But still, she felt like she needed to say something.

"Well," White Canary said. "I doubt that." She glanced at Mal and shrugged. "Everyone grows and changes in their own ways," she reminded him. "You just need to reconnect." Guardian huffed, shaking his head.

"I've _tried_ ," he replied. "I just don't think it's going to work out."

"Well, that's bullshit," White Canary announced. Guardian turned to look at her, surprised. White Canary shrugged. "Mal - I've seen the way that she looks at you, the way that you look at her. You guys clearly love each other. Don't give that up because of one rough patch." Guardian's brow furrowed, and he lowered his gaze. He appeared to be mulling over what White Canary had just said.

Before the conversation could progress further, Sphere beeped loudly behind them. The Super-Cycle was warning Guardian and Canary of the incoming threat - some of the robots had managed to get by the Super-Cycle. Frankly, White Canary couldn't say that she was disappointed. Therapy was _not_ in her future.

"Bee!" Canary shouted as she flipped backwards, dodging a blast from one of the bots. She shot at it with her gun, and the bot flew backwards, making the one behind it explode. Next to Canary, Guardian was punching away at the robots, the heavy metal gauntlets protecting his fists. "Any day now!"

" _There are too many failsafes built into the core,"_ Bumblebee reported, sounding frustrated. A robot took aim at White Canary, and Guardian leapt in front of her, using his gauntlets to absorb the blast. White Canray shot the robot down above his head as she listened to Bumblebee's grim report.

White Canary grit her teeth. The robots just kept coming, faster and faster. Sphere was trying to hold them off before they reached Guardian and Canary, but there was too many - soon enough, the heroes would be overwhelmed.

Taking a deep breath, White Canary opened her mouth, sending a sonic scream directly at several of the bots. The sound wave made the robots combust and then fall to the ground, but it also left White Canary nearly drained. She still hadn't received enough training in using the Canary Cry.

" _The power_ _keeps rerouting!"_ Bumblebee shouted over the comms. The heroine sounded frustrated and desperate, but White Canary couldn't focus on that for long. The blonde had to focus on not getting killed.

"Well, then reroute it somewhere useful!" Guardian shouted back over the comm., leaping back into battle. Clearly, Guardian hadn't intended his cry to make sense, but it seemed to give Bumblebee an idea. There was a pause on the other end of the line for a moment, and then Bumblebee's astounded voice broke over.

" _Mal – I mean, Guardian! You're a genius!"_

Whatever Bumblebee's plan was, it didn't take long for her to enact it. A few moments after the heroine had spoken, the power core flashed ominously. Right after, the robots clattered to the ground, all weapons systems going offline. Canary blinked, stepping forward to nudge one with her toe. It didn't move.

" _All surface weapons have been silenced,"_ Captain Atom reported over the line. The hero sounded exhausted as he gave his report. " _Is it_ _over?"_ Captain Atom asked, hopeful. There wasn't event the slightest pause before Superboy's triumphant voice sounded over all the comms.

" _Mongul is down and contained,"_ Superboy responded to the Leaguer. White Canary grinned, putting her head back and laughing out loud in relief.

" _Nice work, Alpha!"_ Batgirl congratulated the squad. Superboy laughed.

" _I'd love to take credit,"_ he responded. " _But we didn't do it. His own machine stung him – I'm guessing with a little help."_ White Canary looked up to see Bumblebee returning from the power core as she grew back to regular size. The heroine clad in white couldn't help but to smirk.

"A _little_ help is right," she murmured to herself.

Bumblebee landed on the ground in front of Guardian. Without even saying anything, she flung her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his chest. Guardian wrapped his arms around her without even hesitating, and White Canary smiled.

She knew that the couple was going to be okay.

* * *

Robin docked the BioShip at the rendezvous point in the War World, where they'd dropped the Team off in the beginning of the mission. When the three Bats got to the docking bay, two of the three squads were back.

Guardian and Bumblebee were sitting on the Super-Cycle, and White Canary was sitting on the ground with her back against Sphere. The blonde hero looked exhausted, but she grinned when she saw Raptor. The raven-haired girl grinned back, rushing up to her friend.

As Raptor walked into the docking bay, Beta Squad was returning as well. Impulse sped into the chamber, coming to a halt a few yards away from the Super-Cycle. Blue Beetle landed next to the speedster, and then a green bird flew in, landing next to Guardian. As the bird shifted back into Beast Boy, Guardian ruffled the younger boy's hair affectionately. Beast Boy grinned.

"Whoo!" Batgirl called jubilantly as she led Robin and Raptor into the docking bay. The grin spread across the redhead's face was huge. "Do we rock?" Bumblebee looked up, raising her fist to the sky with a grin.

"Girl, we _rock_!" Bumblebee cried, pumping her fist wildly. Guardian laughed, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend's waist as he smiled happily. He'd put aside his concerns about their relationship, at least for the time being.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Blue Beetle asked, grinning widely. White Canary glanced at the boy curiously. He certainly _seemed_ to be back to his normal self, and everyone on his squad seemed at ease, implying that Beetle had acted normally on this mission. Guardian shook his head, smirking.

"Not over here," he responded to Blue Beetle's question, crossing his arms over his chest. Raptor made a face, and Canary laughed at her friend's expression.

"Raptor doubted us," White Canary teased, raising her eyebrows at her best friend. Raptor shrugged, walking over to the blonde. She offered White Canary her hand, and then hauled her friend to her feet.

"I doubt everyone, all the time," Raptor replied, letting go of Canary's hand. Raptor smirked, narrowing her eyes at White Canary playfully. "Don't take it personally." White Canary laughed, slinging her arm over Raptor's shoulders – she was in a good mood right now, still riding the high of their victory.

"Right," White Canary agreed. She leaned in and whispered in her friend's ear, still grinning mischievously. "Nice hickeys." Raptor stiffened under White Canary's arm and scowled at her friend, her cheeks turning pink. White Canary laughed again.

"Hey," Guardian said suddenly. "Where's Alpha?" Raptor looked around the docking area, and sure enough, several members of the Team had yet to be accounted for. The present members of the Team weren't left wondering for long, as Arsenal piped up to answer Guardian's question.

" _Trudging along with the big bad,"_ he replied over the comm. " _He must weigh like a metric ton. We're just a couple of minutes out."_ White Canary relaxed slightly upon hearing Roy's voice. She hadn't even realized she'd been concerned about him, but apparently, she had been, at least subconsciously.

"Hey." White Canary noticed Guardian going up to Bumblebee. Even though it wasn't any of her business, the blonde couldn't help eavesdropping. She did it subtlety, though. "I know we all did our part," Guardian said to his girlfriend quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But, really, you saved the day. You and that big, beautiful brain of yours." Bumblebee smiled, dropping her gaze as she rubbed Sphere.

"Thanks," she murmured. She grinned at Guardian pointedly. "But it was your idea." Guardian laughed, shaking his head.

"I wouldn't call it an _idea,"_ he replied cheekily. "More like a desperate cry for help." Bumblebee laughed, and then stepped closer to her boyfriend.

"Mal, you know I couldn't have done it without you," she told him. Guardian shook his head. He grabbed Bumblebee's hand and pulled her close to him, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"No," he said firmly. His eyes were shining as he looked at his girlfriend - with pride, passion, and a little bit of sadness. "That's not true. You would have found a way." Guardian said. He shook his head, sighing even as he smiled at the young woman in front of him.

"Karen," he continued. "You are destined for great things. And I haven't wanted to admit it, to admit that you've just...outgrown me." Bumblebee's eyes widened as Guardian spoke. "But we can't hold on to high school forever," Guardian said with a sigh. "And I really am so proud of you." White Canary looked at the couple, crossing her fingers as Bumblebee opened her mouth.

"You know something?" Bumblebee began. She smirked as she continued to talk. "You really _are_ an idiot." Guardian's head shot up, his eyes going wide. Before he could get upset, Bumblebee was pressing on. "And I'm an idiot too," she continued. "I've been taking you for granted, when the thing is, knowing you're there for me makes all the difference."

White Canary couldn't contain the grin that spread across her face. She caught Guardian's eye over Bumblebee's shoulder and winked at him, shooting the young man a thumbs-up sign. Guardian rolled his eyes at the younger hero, but he was smiling as he bent down to kiss his girlfriend.

"Wow," Arsenal's voice broke through the chamber, effectively ruining the couple's moment. Everyone turned to look as Alpha walked into the docking bay. The redhead was smirking. "How do I get that reward?"

Raptor scoffed, which made White Canary elbow her friend and glare at the other girl. Wonder Girl giggled as she passed Arsenal and leaned up to peck him on the cheek. Arsenal's eyes went wide, but then he grinned.

"It's a start," he murmured. Alpha Squad drew closer, and Wolf dropped at Guardian's feet with a heavy sigh. Wonder Girl and Superboy stopped walking, still holding Mongul just above the ground. The alien was unconscious, and tied up neatly with Wonder Girl's lasso.

"Well," Blue Beetle said conversationally. He flipped the crystal key over in his hand. Up close, it was smaller than Raptor would have expected, about the same size as a football. "Gang's all here," Blue said.

Without warning, the teenager brought the crystal key down on Impulse's head. The speedster's breath caught as he legs gave out beneath him, and he crashed to the ground. Raptor's eyes went wide with shock, but White Canary anticipated Beetle's next attack.

Blue Beetle fired his sonic cannon towards the cluster of his teammates. White Canary bowled Raptor over, knocking both of them out of harm's way. Some of their friends hadn't been as lucky – Guardian, Beast Boy, and Batgirl were all unconscious.

White Canary leapt to her feet, pulling out her stun guns. Raptor grunted as she got to her feet as well, albeit more slowly. White Canary charged forward, dodging Blue Beetle's attacks as she tried to hit him with one of her shots. Adjacent to Canary, Arsenal was doing the same thing. But Raptor stood back, looking at the battle.

Blue Beetle turned around, his lip curling. White Canary crept up behind her teammate, firing her gun. Beetle's Scarab must have warned him, because the boy swung around. He knocked Canary's gun away from him and then grabbed the blonde, throwing her across the room.

"Blue, what are you _doing_?" Superboy shouted as White Canary hit the ground a few feet behind him. Beetle whipped around, and then charged forward at Superboy, activating the jetpack on his back. The boy hit Superboy head on, and the clone flew backwards. The half-Kryptonian hit the wall with a crack, and then slumped forward.

Before anyone else could react, Blue grabbed onto Mongul and flipped him over, trapping Wonder Girl underneath the alien. The Amazonian struggled underneath the weight of Mongu. Before she could make any move to free herself, Blue Beetle had shot staples at her wrists, effectively locking her down.

Raptor swallowed hard, closing her eyes and shaking her head. She couldn't focus on the battle, not with the others shrieking away in her head. The Talon wanted control, furious at Blue Beetle's betrayal, and Karla kept on begging Raptor, telling her that she couldn't hurt Jaime. Raptor was frozen in place.

A birdarang clattered at Raptor's feet, and she stared at it with unseeing eyes. Robin had thrown the weapon at Blue Beetle, who was now ascending forwards towards the heroes who remained conscious.

"No," Arsenal growled, backing up. His chest began to rise and fall heavily as he looked around wildly. Raptor recognized the symptoms - Arsenal was having a panic attack. "Not again." He looked around, clearly trying to figure out a way to escape. His eyes fell on the airlock controls, and he reached out to them.

Across the room, White Canary was slowly getting to her feet. She rubbed the back of her head and looked up, her eyes falling on Arsenal. His next action was clear.

"Roy!" she shouted, her eyes widening with horror. He barely looked at her, and White Canary charged forward. She hadn't even passed Raptor, who was still kneeling motionless on the ground, when Arsenal moved towards the button. "Roy, don't do it – "

"I will not be taken again!" Arsenal responded loudly, slamming his hand down on the button. There was a warning beep, and then the airlock opened, immediately creating a powerful vacuum that threatened to sweep all occupants of the airlock into outer space.

Canary cried out as her legs were swept out from underneath her. Something hit her hard from behind, and Canary went flying forward. Somehow, before she could be swept out into space, Raptor managed to grab her hand. White Canary gritted her teeth, hanging on to her best friend's hand as she watched helplessly as Sphere was sucked out of the docking bay.

Raptor had reacted quickly. She pulled her katana from her back and stabbed downwards, the sharp blade sinking into the ground easily. The raven-haired girl wrapped her finger of one hand around the hilt of the sword, gritting her teeth. Her other hand was gripping onto White Canary.

Not only was the suction of the vacuum hard to withstand, the oxygen was quickly leaving the airlock. The lack of air made it hard to breathe and think clearly, and was weakening Raptor significantly.

Just as the vacuum was becoming too strong for Raptor to hang on, it stopped. Somehow Blue Beetle had managed to hit the mechanism to close the airlock doors once more.

White Canary's body hit the ground, and the blonde girl groaned. Her chest was rising fast as she tried desperately to suck enough oxygen into her lungs. She coughed desperately, and Raptor watched helplessly as Canary's eyes slipped close and the girl lapsed into unconsciousness.

Raptor's head shot up, and her eyes widened with dismay and horror as she saw Blue Beetle aim his sonic cannon at Robin and Bumblebee and Wolf. His aim was dead-on, and all three heroes crashed to the ground.

Raptor stared forward, her eyesight wavering. The lack of oxygen was getting to her head, and she could barely think straight. Still, the others were before her, clear as day. Karla was silent, her face drawn with fear and horror. The Talon was quiet as well, but her chin was lifted in arrogance - she was the dominant presence in her mind at the moment.

"Do something," Raptor pleaded with them. Karla didn't move, and Raptor's eyes landed on the Talon. The assassin's face was as blank and emotionless as it usually was. Raptor's heart thudded in her chest. "Please."

The Talon's hand reached into Raptor's utility belt, and the assassin pulled out a rebreather. One of the first things the Talons were taught self-preservation, and it ran deeper than panic - deeper than anything, even the desire of death.

But just as the assassin was pulling out the oxygen mask, Blue Beetle turned his cannon on the her. The Talon's head snapped backwards, and it cracked against the ground.

As the Talon's vision faded and bitter anger rushed through her veins, she was left with one thought.

She had been too late - she had _failed._

* * *

 **this chapter was such a butt to write. AND it's short...meh. i'm sorry.**

 **please leave a review! reviews make the world go round...they always put a smile on my face.**

 **whether you loved it or hated it, i'd love to hear a few words!**

 **thank you!**


	14. ComplicationsThe Hunt

**I've been AWOL for a hot minute...I'm so sorry, this past month has been crazy busy for me.**

 **To : Thank you! I'm glad you like it - and here is the next chapter!**

 **To KingPenguinJG: I saw the trailer! I was a little disappointed that it was mostly old footage, but it did give me enough of an idea to know what I'm going to do to end this part of the story and close out season two. Yes Karla is bi/pan...I'm glad you think I portrayed it well; her sexuality is very important to me. Anyways, I'm glad you like the story, and also I have not read the new red hood comics yet/know what you're talking about (i've been so busy lol) but when i get around to it, we'll see! (ps more jason in this chap)**

 **To BrazioRios: Thank you so much!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my b Karla**

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

 **May 27, 12:33 EDT**

Jason wandered down the hallway of Wayne Manor, chugging a bottle of water. He'd been in the gym since nine-thirty that morning, and he was starving. Heading towards the kitchen, Jason paused to peek in. Alfred was standing at the stove. He must have heard Jason's footsteps, for the elderly butler turned to look in the direction of the door.

"Ah, Master Jason," Alfred greeted the young man with a gentle smile. He gestured towards the pan on the stove, where he was preparing some eggs. "Would you care for some breakfast?"

"Thanks, Alfred," Jason said gratefully. "That would be great." The dark-haired boy headed over to the sink, filling his water bottle back up. He took another long sip, draining the bottle, and then crushed the plastic in his hand. "Is Tim here?"

"I believe Master Tim is still away," Alfred responded, not taking his eyes of the pan as not to burn the eggs. He was busy scrambling the eggs with his spatula. "I do not know when he will return."

As if on cue, Jason heard the familiar sound of the grandfather clock being pushed back from inside the BatCave. Alfred turned the heat off under the pan and moved it aside, stepping past Jason to greet Tim.

Jason waited in the kitchen, shifting uncomfortably. He didn't _dislike_ Tim, per say. Still, their encounters were few and far between, and nearly always awkward. Jason couldn't blame the younger boy – after all, Tim's first impression of Jason was being beat unconscious. So, Jason preferred to keep his distance when possible.

"Jason?" a voice called – it was Dick, not Tim, who was talking. For whatever reason, Dick seemed to want Jason to come say hello. Sighing, Jason turned around, pushing the door to the kitchen open. It looked like he wouldn't be able to get away with avoiding the younger boy this time.

But to Jason's surprise, Tim was nowhere to be seen when he stepped into the entry hall. Jason blinked, looking around. Dick was standing next to Alfred, still dressed in his Nightwing uniform. He was scowling, and Alfred looked concerned, his eyebrows pressed together.

"What's going on?" Jason asked, warily. Seeing Nightwing in full uniform, especially this early in the day, _especially_ with that expression on his face made him a little nervous.

"The Team is missing," Nightwing replied briskly. Jason's eyes widened at Nightwing's statement.

"The Team is – the _whole_ Team is missing?" Jason repeated incredulously. Nightwing nodded grimly. Jason's eyebrows creased as he processed this information. "So, Karla and Barbara and Tim…" Jason's voice trailed off as anger flashed through his body, hot and fiery. Jason clenched his hands into fists and took a few deep breaths.

"Yeah," Nightwing affirmed, not seeming to notice Jason's sudden rage. He sighed, leaning against the wall of the hallway. "A rookie – Blue Beetle – made it out. He says a boom tube opened up right beneath their feet. Transported them all god knows where." Jason managed to relax his hands as he looked up at Dick.

"You don't buy it," Jason realized, reading Nightwing face. Nightwing frowned again, and he turned away slightly.

"I don't know," he replied at last, his voice quiet. "I just came by to tell you what had happened, so you two wouldn't be expecting Tim home." Nightwing sighed again, straightening his shoulders. "I'll be leaving now," he said curtly. "I need to start looking for any leads."

"Wait – " Jason reached his hand out. Nightwing turned back, raising his eyebrows expectantly. "Can I come?" Nightwing stared at Jason, his eyes narrowing behind the domino mask slightly. Jason scowled at Nightwing's slightly incredulous expression. "I can handle it," he muttered, clenching his jaw.

A long moment passed, and finally Nightwing nodded. Jason's shoulders slumped with relief, and he couldn't help the grin that spread over his face.

"I suppose I could use the extra set of hands," Nightwing admitted, still looking just a little begrudging at his own acquiescence, as though he still thought it was a bad idea. "Suit up – "

"Excuse me, Master Dick," Alfred broke in, speaking for the first time. "If I may insist that Master Jason, and perhaps yourself as well, eat something before leaving." Alfred's voice was gentle, but it was clear that his statement was not a suggestion.

Nightwing sighed, and then smiled. He nodded.

"I know better than to argue with you, Alfred," he admitted, albeit reluctantly. Alfred smiled serenely, pleased to have gotten his way without a fuss. He dipped his head to the younger men before turning around.

"As you should, Master Dick," Alfred replied, heading back towards the kitchen to finish preparing the meal.

Jason turned to look at Nightwing again. The older boy's shoulders were slumped, and his head was drooping downwards. As though he felt Jason's gaze upon him, Nightwing lifted his head.

He smiled at Jason weakly, but Jason couldn't bring himself to muster a smile back.

"Come on," Nightwing said with a sigh. He reached out and squeezed his little brother's shoulder affectionately. "Let's eat."

* * *

Jason paced the bottom level of the War World's docking bay, while Nightwing surveyed the catwalks above. Once again, Jason was wearing his old Robin uniform with a leather jacket. Like the other Robins, Jason also had access to a holographic computer in his gloves, which he was currently using to scan the room for anything out of place.

The large room was quiet – neither he or Nightwing was talking, and both of them had long since learned how to move silently. Jason's feet slid over the ground without so much as whisper.

The docking bay was huge – Jason and Nightwing had been on the War World for nearly four hours, and they'd only covered the entirety of the bay twice. They were taking their time the third time around, as clues were harder to come by than they'd originally anticipated.

As he walked around the large room, Jason noticed something odd – a change in texture underneath his foot on a particular step. Walking a few paces backwards, Jason trained his masked eyes toward the ground. There was a deep gash in front of him, a slice into the hard metal of the floor as though someone had pierced the floor.

Jason bent down, measuring it with his fingers - the cut looked familiar. He frowned, shaking his head slightly. This didn't make sense. Jason turned to his holographic computer, typing on the keyboard until he had pulled up what he was looking for – pictures of Raptor's sword.

Studying both the end of the blade and the mark on the ground, Jason couldn't help but notice the obvious similarities. It was as if Raptor had slammed her blade into the ground to do – what, exactly? Why would she do that?

Frowning, Jason turned around, thinking hard. Raptor had been in the BioShip the entire time, all the way up until the fight was over. There was no reason for her to have had her sword unsheathed while in the War World at all. Boom tubes were controlled from somewhere other than where the boom tube opened, so it wasn't as if she'd been trying to destroy the controller.

"Jason," Nightwing called. The younger boy turned around. While he'd been mulling over the oddity of the mark on the floor, Nightwing had descended from the catwalk. The older hero was looking at the airlock controls, which were completely destroyed. "Airlock's damaged," Nightwing murmured unnecessarily as Jason walked over to his side.

Jason leaned down, plucking something from the floor. He held it out to Nightwing to examine – it was one of Robin's birdarangs. Nightwing frowned, scanning it with his wrist computer. Jason watched as the results appeared on the screen – the birdarang had remnants of some sort of nanites on it. They were unfamiliar to Jason, but Nightwing seemed to recognize the mirco-technology.

"Birdarang must have scratched Blue's armor," Nightwing said aloud. He looked at Jason, his forehead creased. "Why would Robin throw it at Blue?" Jason shrugged, gathering that Blue was the Blue Beetle who'd made it out.

"New kid has bad aim?" he offered, not really believing it himself. He doubted Tim would have made it far as a Robin if he had bad aim. Sure enough, Nightwing shook his head adamantly.

"Not even a little," Nightwing replied, standing back up. He looked at Jason. "Did you find anything else?" he asked. Jason nodded.

"Over here," the younger boy responded, leading Nightwing over to where he'd found the cut in the floor. Jason toed the gash. "It matches Raptor's katana – like she stabbed the ground." Nightwing shook his head slowly, bending down to take a look for himself.

Jason's analysis was sound – the cut definitely looked like Raptor's blade. The question was why she would have it out in the first place.

Nightwing looked down at the birdarang in his hand again, frowning. He turned the weapon over, as if examining it even more thoroughly would answer his questions.

But it didn't. There were far too many questions – and no satisfactory answers.

* * *

 **TAOS**

 **May 29, 20:08 MDT**

Nate shoved off the ground several times to gain speed on his skateboard, whipping around a corner with a wide grin. As much as he missed his friends – and yeah, school, because Nate was a certified nerd – he couldn't help but admit that this was a lot of fun.

Nate's eyes scanned the darkened streets. They quickly fell on Nate's next target – a few vending machines selling only Reach drinks nestled innocently at the corner. Nate pushed of the ground again, so that he was speeding towards the vending machines as fast as he could go.

Putting his hands up to create a battering ram, Nate felt his skin and bones turn to steel. He smashed into the vending machines, elbows first. The two devices crumpled easily underneath Nate's strength, leaving behind nothing more than a pile of scraps and a puddle of Reach juice.

Smirking, Nate changed trajectory, heading back towards the empty streets. As he rolled along the road, brushing tiny pieces of machinery off of him, Nate could see his new friends vandalizing other Reach propaganda.

Sam catapulted herself off of a billboard with Gordon Godfrey's and the Ambassador's face plastered over it. The wood of the board collapsed with a creak, sending a shower of wood down onto the top of the skyscraper.

The Japanese girl landed back on her skateboard, looking satisfied. Catching her eye, Nate grinned and gave Sam a thumbs-up, before coasting over to her on his board. Ed came whipping around the corner as well, a levitating Virgil following the Argentinean boy closely.

The four friends came up on a clearing where they could see Tye shrinking back from his astral form to his regular self. He was standing in front of a broken water tower.

 **"** Ah, nice one, Tye!" Virgil said with a broad grin as he landed, tucking the metal manhole cover underneath his arm. He clapped the other boy on his shoulder. "You are seriously getting a handle on your powers." Tye smiled faintly.

"Thanks, Virgil," he said. Then he scowled, his tone of voice darkening. "But I'd rather get a handle on the Scarab that turned my man Jaime into the Reach's little blue puppet." Tye glared at the picture on the shattered water tower, which was a picture of Blue Beetle grinning broadly.

Before anyone could say anything, either to comfort Tye or agree with him, Ed's phone began to ring. The boy reached into his pocket, pulling the device out to accept the call. The other teens crowded around him to see the message. Lex Luthor was looking at them through the screen, his eyes betraying cold satisfaction.

"I wonder," he ventured, his eyes falling on the wreckage in the background. "If the Reach can appreciate the irony of their own creations working against them." Nate scoffed at Luthor's choice of words, rolling his eyes in irritation.

"Hey," Ed snapped. "They did _not_ create us. They kidnapped us!" Tye moved closer to the screen, nodding his head.

"And experimented on us against our will." Lex Luthor chuckled looking nearly _amused_ at the teenagers' defiance – or as Nate liked to call it, statement of truth.

"And with that in mind," Luthor replied, still smiling oddly. "If you truly want to hit the Reach where it hurts…" Luthor trailed off enticingly, grinning when Sam, Nate, and Virgil all stepped closer, curious to hear Luthor's suggestion. "I believe I can show you the way."

* * *

 **THE WAR WORLD**

 **May 30, 03:36 UTC**

Jason's fingers drummed silently against his knee as he watched Miss Martian with anticipation. The Martian had shown up at the Watchtower two days ago, fresh from her escape of Manta.

Despite Nightwing's repeated attempts to get Miss Martian to rest, the alien was adamant that she help locate the Team when she'd heard what happened. Unfortunately, even her attempts were nearly futile.

"Anything?" Nightwing asked finally, breaking the tense silence of the BioShip. Jason glanced over at Miss Martian. She sighed, and the green light faded from her eyes as they returned to their normal brown.

"No, nothing," she replied, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I can't sense any of them," she added, swiveling in her seat to face Nightwing, who sat at the controls of the BioShip. "But the War World is so big that they could easily be out of my range."

Jason groaned, slumping in his seat and tugging at his hair in frustration. He glared out into space, at the seemingly never-ending sphere of metal beneath them that was holding their friends _somewhere_.

"We've been flying this surface grid pattern for _hours_ ," Jason griped. "Can't we try something else?" Nightwing sighed, rubbing the back of his neck to try to work out some of the knots between his shoulders.

"I think so," he said with another sigh. "Miss Martian is clearly exhausted – "

"I can do this!" Miss Martian cut in, her eyes blazing. Nightwing nodded rapidly, holding his hand out to placate his old friend.

"Of course," he amended. "But there's no need to overtax yourself so soon after your kidnapping. Besides," he continued. "We're not giving up. We'll start over where the Team disappeared." Jason closed his eyes, trying not to groan out loud. He was sick and tired of dead ends.

"Alright," Miss Martian murmured, turning to face forward once more. "If you think it best."

* * *

The five runaway teenagers were back at their safehouse. Predictably, given the fact that the house was occupied by five mostly-unsupervised adolescents, the apartment was a mess. Take-out food containers and paper plates littered the living room area.

The teenagers were now gathered around the computer sat on the living room table. Lex Luthor's face was now being projected onto the laptop he'd gifted the teens. Next to the computer was the device that had been waiting for them when they'd reached the safehouse.

"It's called Father Box," Luthor told the teenagers. Nate leaned over, picking the piece of tech up hesitantly. It looked to be alien in origin, something that automatically made Nate wary. "It can open a boom tube, or gateway, to the War World and back again. It has also been programmed to location Kryptonian DNA." Nate's eyes widened at that last piece of information.

"Kryptonian?" Virgil repeated from behind Nate. The teenager was once again hovering on his electrified manhole cover, sitting cross-legged. "You mean you're sending us after Superman?" Luthor shook his head.

"Super _boy_ , actually," the bald CEO corrected. "One of the eleven young heroes captured by the Reach." A tab on the computer opened up, displaying pictures of said heroes. Nate flinched when he saw White Canary's face among the missing, and his heart began to pound. His friend was _captured_?

"Those guys saved _us_ from the Reach!" Virgil exclaimed. The picture shrunk again, revealing Luthor's face once more. He nodded once, arching an eyebrow at the group of teenagers in front of him.

"Precisely," he agreed. "Care to return the favor? And in the process, strike a critical blow against the Reach?" Nate bit his lip, thinking it over. If Sara was captured, he wanted to go after her. But at the same time…

"Dude," Tye said, staring at Luthor incredulously. "You want us to break into the War World and rescue superheroes?" The boy shook his head. "If they got caught, what chance do we have?"

 _"_ _¡_ _Misión suicida!"_ Ed muttered, frowning.

 _"_ _Kamikaze,"_ Sam agreed with Ed, albeit probably unknowingly due to the language barrier.

"My friend's there," Nate said, crossing his arms over his chest. The brown-haired boy lifted his chin defiantly. "I'm going." He hadn't expected to be backed up by anyone, but to Nate's surprise, Virgil was nodding his head.

"I'm in," he declared. Nate looked at Virgil in surprise, and the other boy nodded back at him. Tye, Sam, and Ed were staring at their friends in shock. "There's no way the Reach expects us!" Virgil argued, seeing the facial expressions of other three.

"Right," Nate agreed, jumping on the chance to convince the other three. "With the combination of the element of surprise _and_ our powers, we can take them." Nate shrugged. "Who knows – maybe we're the only ones who have a chance." Tye snorted, leaning back against the counter. He looked dubious.

"That's a big _maybe_ ," he replied, warily.

"Besides," Virgil piped up. "We owe them." Luthor smiled darkly on the screen.

"My thoughts exactly," he agreed. Ed, Tye, and Sam exchanged a look, and Tye sighed, crossing his arms.

"Fine," he muttered, shrugging as he resigned. He didn't look particularly angry at not getting his way so much as concerned. Ed nodded as well.

"You had me at 'we owe 'em,'" Ed agreed. Sam reached out, taking the Father Box that Nate had set back down on the coffee table. Her two-toned eyes darted over the machine as she looked for a switch or a button of some kind. Upon not finding one, she looked up at Luthor,

 _"_ _Dou yatte tsukau no?"_ She asked, holding up the piece of tech. She spoke in Japanese before switching to English. "How does work, please?" Luthor nodded.

"The War World shielding prevents Father Box from pinpointing Superboy's exact location from Earth," Luthor informed the small group. "But – it can boom tube you within a few miles of it. Once you're inside," he continued. "It will lead you to Superboy and the others. And when you're ready, it can bring you all home." Sam stared at the Father Box, still looking slightly dubious.

"Simply ask, Asami," Luthor encouraged her. "And it will obey." Sam glanced over her shoulder, and her friends nodded affirmatively. They were ready to go.

"The War World, please," Sam requested.

At first, nothing happened. Then Father Box beeped loudly, and the mechanics began to glow. The floor beneath Nate's feet shimmered, and he couldn't help but let out a startled shriek as he and his friends plunged through the portal where the floor had been.

* * *

The boom tube opened up in the ceiling of the War World, depositing the five screaming teenagers and three skateboards on to the ground.

Nate hit the floor with a loud thump and groaned. He sat up quickly, rubbing his shoulder, which had taken most of the impact of the fall. His five friends were also in various states of disarray around him as they struggled to push themselves up as well.

Blinking his eyes a few times, Nate looked around the room they were in. He looked in front of him, and his heart skipped a beat – there were several Reach soldiers surrounding of the teens.

The five runaways clambered to their feet, forming a small circle so that their backs were basically pressed against one another. The Reach soldiers clicked and clattered to one another in their language, surrounding the runaways menacingly.

"Hello!" Sam said hopefully, smiling at the Reach soldiers. None of the warriors returned her greeting, but one of them stepped forward. He was brandishing his spear menacingly.

"Oh, we give up, we give up!" Virgil cried suddenly. He threw himself forward, so that he was on his knees in front of the lead soldier. Virgil put both of his hands above his head so that it was clear he wasn't holding a weapon. "We are so sorry!" he continued. "It was stupid to come here – stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Nate, Sam, Tye, and Ed all exchanged looks. They had all been surprised at Virgil's sudden surrender, but now they knew what he was doing. Ed was the first to react, kneeling next to Virgil and placing his hands on his head.

"He's right!" Ed agreed. Behind Ed and Virgil, the other three teenagers had fallen to their knees in a position of surrender as well. "We don't want any trouble," Ed begged. "We just want to go home."

The Reach soldier in front bent down, pulling Virgil up by the collar of his t-shirt. Virgil kept up his scared act for one second longer, and then smirked.

"Fooled ya," he gloated, stretching his hand out.

Electricity crackled around Virgil's manhole cover, responding to his motion. It shot towards him, and Virgil moved his hand across his face. The heavy metal circle smashed into the head of the Reach soldier, and the warrior crumpled to the ground.

Out of the corner of his eye, Nate could see Ed disappearing, teleporting somewhere. Sam pressed her hands together, and her _chi_ flickered to life around her.

A Reach soldier bent down, brandishing his spear at Nate. Nate closed his eyes, and he couldn't help but smirk when the Reach soldier thrust his weapon at Nate and it bounced off his metal skin harmlessly.

Standing up, Nate punched the alien soldier in the head once, and he crumpled to the ground. Behind Nate, Tye's astral form had grown around him, and the boy swiped aside the several of the remaining soldiers in one go.

"Hoo-hoo!" Virgil shouted triumphantly as he shot electricity at the soldiers. "Now you gone done woke up the big man!"

Several of the remaining soldiers began to fire at Tye, but he simply batted them aside, sending them flying across the room. Several others surrounded Nate and Sam.

Sam propelled herself into the Reach, easily knocking them over and landing on her feet. Nate, on the other hand, simply hit them in the face. His heavy steel fists did plenty of damage without any finesse.

Virgil's hand was glowing with electricity as he conducted his manhole cover around the room, knocking over his adversaries. One of the Reach soldiers had snuck up behind him, but before Nate could intervene, Ed appeared in front of the soldier.

" _S_ _Adios!"_ Ed said, grabbing the spear and teleporting away with it. Tye stepped up, pulling his foot back and booting the last warrior across the room.

As the alien landed, a train pulled up right behind him. The doors of the train hissed open, revealing dozens of more soldiers.

"Shit," Virgil said, his brown eyes going wide. He waved to his friends. "Ed, Tye, Sam, Nate! Time to go!" He stretched his hand out, bringing his manhole cover back towards him. He hopped on it so that he was levitating a few feet above the ground.

Nate grabbed his skateboard and began to speed after his friends as fast as he could. Sam was using her _chi_ to project herself forward, and Ed was on his board as well. A handful of the Reach soldiers began to pursue the teens as they attempted to make their getaway, focusing mainly on Ed and Nate as the two boys on their skateboards were more vulnerable than their friends.

Ed managed to avoid the lasers by teleporting short distances back and forth, weaving in and around the blasts. Nate was able to catch them on his body without any harm due to his invulnerability in his steel state.

Seeming to realize that the two boys were evading injury, one of the Reach soldiers said something to the others. The clicking tone of the words sent chills down Nate's spine and made him shudder.

Suddenly, Nate found himself airborne, his skateboard disappearing from underneath his feet. He could see Ed flying forwards too, and Nate realized the Reach soldier must have been telling the others to target their skateboards, and that the pieces of wood littering the ground was his board.

Nate's eyes widened as he realized that he and Ed were falling straight towards a massive drop. They were over the edge and about fifteen feet into a freefall when Ed twisted in midair, grabbing onto Nate. Nate felt the oddest sensation, like his molecules were compressing and rearranging at a near-instantaneous rate, and then he and Ed were crashing onto the ground right behind the Reach soldiers.

Ed kicked his foot out, shoving one of the soldiers over and creating a domino effect so that all six of them toppled over the edge. Nate wasn't able to do much more than groan – teleporting _hurt_.

"And that's what you get for blasting my board!" Ed shouted down at the falling enemies, sounding annoyed. He stood up, looking at Nate on the ground sympathetically, "Sorry about that," Ed apologized, holding his hand. "It's more complicated with two people." Ed seemed to be in mild pain as well, as he was gripping his side and grimacing slightly.

"Can't complain too much," Nate replied, taking Ed's hand and letting the other boy haul him to his feet. Nate winced. "You _did_ save my life." He grinned at Ed, a careful hand pressed around his ribs. "Thanks."

" _De nada,_ " Ed said, smiling back at Nate. He headed back towards their other friends, and Nate limped after him. Tye's astral form was shrinking again, until the boy was back to normal size and on the ground.

"Dude!" Virgil called as he landed right behind Tye. Sam skidded to a halt behind Virgil. "Did we know your, uh, _long-shadow_ was laser-proof?" Tye grimaced, reaching up to rub his chest.

"Ugh. More like…laser- _resistant_ ," Tye corrected as he got to his feet slowly. "Those beams _stung_." Nate nodded his head in agreement, glancing down at his arms.

"I wish my clothes were at _least_ laser-resistant," Nate griped, glaring at the small holes on the arms of his t-shirt. "Stupid Reach ruined my shirt."

"Hey," Virgil said, clapping Nate on the arm. "At least your actual _arms_ are intact." Nate shrugged, agreeing. Virgil turned towards Sam, raising his eyebrows at her. She nodded her head, reaching into her vest pocket and pulling out Father Box.

"Superboy, please," she requested. Father Box beeped, acknowledging Sam's request. Part of the pattern on the device started to glow and Sam smiled. "This way!" she announced, leading her friends down the corridor.

* * *

"Haven't you already scanned every inch of the place?" Miss Martian asked Nightwing, who was currently walking around the docking bay that the Team had disappeared from for the fifth time. Nightwing grunted.

"Yeah," he said shortly. "But I'm _obviously_ capable of missing _obvious_ clues. I totally should have noticed Blue Beetle's defection after Green Beetle 'fixed' his Scarab." Jason sighed, turning to face the other two heroes. He was currently examining the airlock, trying to figure out why it was damaged.

"That's _my_ fault," Miss Martian replied, walking up to the younger hero. She placed a hand on Nightwing's shoulder. "You asked me to scan Green's mind and I vouched for him without delving deep." Miss Martian's voice dropped low, and Jason strained to catch her next words. "I was so afraid to use my powers after what I did to Aqualad," she continued. "I allowed Green Beetle to feed me the exact information the Reach wanted. So Blue Beetle trusted Green…and Green turned him.

Jason's brow furrowed, tuning out the rest of Miss Martian's words. What she'd done to Aqualad? What had she done? And why did she care?

Aqualad's betrayal had happened just after Jason had died, but when he'd been resurrected, Jason had been filled in on the past year that he'd missed. Several young new heroes, a current _alien_ invasion, and Kaldur's betrayal. And of course, Artemis's death at Kaldur's hand.

So why did M'gann care about Aqualad? Nightwing's response to her guilt-fest answered Jason's question.

"Except you never would have been in that position if I had trusted you with the secret of Aqualad's deep cover mission." Jason's eyes widened almost comically, and he nearly choked upon hearing Nightwing's revelation. "I put you, Aqualad, Artemis, the whole Team in unacceptable danger." Miss Martian didn't reply, instead dropping her gaze, and Jason broke the silence.

"Okay, okay, okay," he said, holding his hands up and walking over to the elder heroes. "First of all – this guilt-off is unnecessary." Both heroes stared at him, their eyes wide. Jason rolled his eyes and motioned dismissively with a hand. "She says she messed-up, Nightwing says he messed-up worse…both you need to get over it. Mistakes have been made – so what?" Jason began to tick things off on his fingers. "Save the Team, save Blue Beetle. Boom – we're done." Nightwing dropped his head, but Jason could see the beginning of a smile crossing his face. Miss Martian nodded.

"Jason's right," she told Nightwing quietly. Then she smirked, some of her spunk returning. "As a certain thirteen-year-old was once fond of saying: 'that's just what we do.'" Nightwing nodded his head, the corners of his face creeping up slightly.

"Okay, second of all," Jason broke in, deciding that he'd officially not been an asshole for thirty seconds: way too long. "Dick – literally, what the fuck? Kaldur's not a traitor?" The smiled slipped of Nightwing's face and he groaned, pressing his hands to his forehead.

"I forgot you didn't know about that," he admitted with a long sigh. "Yeah. Kaldur's not actually a traitor; he's undercover. Artemis is also undercover." Nightwing frowned. "I thought Raptor would have told you – she found out that night she, uh…" Nightwing trailed off, and although Miss Martian looked confused, Jason knew what he meant.

Karla had found out her brother had lied to her the night the Talon resurfaced. Which…couldn't be a coincidence.

Normally, Jason would have been furious at Nightwing, but the raw guilt on his face told Jason that Nightwing already knew that lying to Karla had been a mistake. Instead, Jason was more concerned about something else.

"Shit," Jason whispered, as several things clicked together in his head. Nightwing looked at him, frowning.

"What?" Nightwing asked, alarmed by the expression on Jason's face. Jason's eyes flicked back up.

"I just realized – doesn't Raptor's emotional state tend to trigger a reaction by the Talon?" Nightwing nodded slowly. "Nightwing," Jason said. "She told me about her – _whatever_ with Blue Beetle, and how it ended. Don't you think that might cause her to be a little unstable?" Nightwing shook his head.

"No, Raptor's professional. I don't think she'd let it get in the way of anything." Jason shook his head. His heart was pounding as he spoke.

"Normally, I'd agree," Jason muttered. Raptor _was_ professional, but what if she wasn't the one driving the car? Jason's eyes flicked to Miss Martian. "But Karla told me that she's been hallucinating again."

Miss Martian's eyes widened – she had helped evaluate Karla right after she'd left the Court, and she knew what Jason was talking about. Nightwing also seemed to realize what Jason was getting at.

"If the Talon is with the Team, wherever they are," Jason continued slowly. He looked up at the elder heroes. "You don't think – "

Before Jason could finish his horrible thought, that maybe the Talon had turned on the Team and killed them all, a loud clang cut him off, followed by a loud screech. All three heroes turned towards the source of the noise – the air lock – and fell into battle stances.

But before the heroes could attack, a familiar series of beeps and whirs sounded from outside the airlock, and the door opened with a hiss. Jason sighed in relief, relaxing as Sphere rolled into the docking bay.

"Sphere!" Miss Martian cried in relief, laughing. The alien tech beeped happily, rolling over to the three Team members. Jason reached his hand out, patting Sphere gently with a small smile on his face. Miss Martian grinned as she hugged Sphere, and then gasped when she realized something. "Can you take us to Superboy?" she asked the alien tech.

Sphere beeped several times, and then cracked open in the middle, turning into the Super-Cycle. Nightwing grinned.

"I think that's a yes," Nightwing said, looking more optimistic than Jason had seen in a long time.

Miss Martian and Nightwing seemed to have all but forgotten the conversation the three heroes had been having just moments before, but despite the hopeful turn of events, Jason couldn't.

* * *

Father Box led the five teenagers through the winding corridors. Every now and then, there would be a patrol of Reach soldiers that needed taking care off, but it didn't take long for the runaways to reach a large door.

"Nate, can you get us through?" Virgil asked. There were no controls in sight, leaving the only option as breaking and entering. Nate grimaced, looking at the door dubiously.

"Doubt it," he replied, reaching out to touch it gently. "Not quickly, at least." He turned to look at the others. "Tye?" The long-haired boy was already closing his eyes, letting his astral form grow around him just as much as needed.

He bent down, hooking his fingers under the door and hauling it up, holding it so the others could slip through. Nate's eyes widened as they entered the huge room.

"Oh, man," he muttered, surveying the scene in front of him.

The room was _huge_ – and it was entirely filled with red pods. Must of the pods were empty, but one of them held a huge yellow alien-looking guy (honestly, _nothing_ surprised Nate anymore) and the others…

"There they all are," Virgil said quietly, his eyes also wide with shock.

"Uh-huh," Nate muttered, his mouth feeling a little dry. Several of the pods contained the heroes that they were looking for. The members of the Team looked unconscious, suspended in various positions and floating a few inches of the ground of the pod.

"They look like they're frozen," Ed noted, frowning in confusion.

"I think they're in stasis," Nate replied. The other four teenagers gave him an odd look, and Nate shrugged. "Buddy of mine is obsessed with science," Nate explained, a fond smile flickering across his face as he thought of Ray.

"Smart whelp-meat," a voice drawled from behind the five runaways. Nate's shoulders tensed, and he turned around slowly, his heart hammering. Behind the five teenagers stood the Reach's best warrior – the one who'd taken out most of the Team on the Reach ship – Black Beetle. "You five will be able to experience it for yourselves soon enough."

"Guys," Virgil stage-whispered to his friends, looking just as scared as Nate felt. "Nate and I saw this freak take out _all_ the heroes on the Reach ship." Nate nodded, unable to speak.

"Please," Black Beetle said, making a show of stretching and cracking his knuckles as he started forwards. "Don't let that stop you from attacking me. I could use the exercise."

Tye was the first to react. He hadn't shrunk from his astral form yet, so he ran forwards, charging at Black Beetle head-on. As Tye's astral form made two fists to bring down on Black Beetle, the alien punched Tye in the abdomen.

The strong uppercut sent Tye flying across the room, so that he crashed to the ground with a loud grunt. Black Beetle flew up into the air, his sonic cannon whirring as he flew towards Tye, shooting him with the cannon point blank.

Tye cried out in pain, his face screwing up as his astral form dissolved around him. The boy flopped the ground with a thud, curling up on his side. Nate's heart hammered. If Tye didn't stand a chance, what could the rest of them do?

"Please tell me that guy didn't take out our big gun in three seconds flat," Ed said, looking at his other friends imploringly.

"Wish I could," Nate muttered, grimacing and swallowing hard.

"Scatter!" Virgil shouted, his eyes tracking Black Beetle's movements. Ed glowed yellow, vanishing from sight instantaneously. Sam, Nate, and Virgil, on the other hand, were only able to move a few yards away before Black Beetle shot them down.

Nate felt himself be thrown backwards, his back landing on the ground. He moaned, coughing as all the air left his lungs.

"Note to self," Nate wheezed quietly as his head spun. He could vaguely hear Black Beetle taunting Ed. "When fighting a giant alien, steeling up first is probably a good idea."

The sound of approaching footsteps (a _lot_ of approaching footsteps) made Nate lift his head, and his eyes widened in horror as he saw a small army of Reach soldiers running towards the still open door. Nate knew that the runaways didn't stand a chance against Black Beetle, let alone Black Beetle and company.

Before Nate could even attempt to get up to try to close the door via the controls, someone was landing in front of him. The person was dressed in red and black Kevlar, with several spears from the Reach slung across his back. His clothes were torn and ripped as though he'd been fighting in them for days.

The teenager slammed his hand on the controls, effectively shutting the door on the Reach soldiers. Nate managed to sit up, startling slightly as Ed appeared next to him in a flash of golden light.

" _Gracias, amigo,"_ Ed thanked the hero who'd shown up from out of nowhere as he helped Nate to his feet. "Um…who are you?" The boy turned to face the two runaways, taking the spears of his back and handing one to each of the other boys. His hair was shaved in a faint red shadow across his scalp, and he was wearing a mask.

"The guy who will save your asses if you listen carefully," he replied. He had a low, gruff voice that was oddly familiar to Nate. "You can't beat Black Beetle head on," he continued. "But keep him off balance and we _might_ just stand a chance."

 _Might_ was the operative word in that sentence. Tye, Sam, and Virgil managed to get up to rejoin the fight, but even with all five of them, it was still a struggle. Most of their hits had no effect on Black Beetle, and if they did manage to harm the alien, his armor stitched itself back up easily.

Nate ran at Black Beetle, firing the Reach weapon in his hand as he got closer to the alien. The boy's heavy footfalls clanged against the ground, metal against metal, as he got closer to his adversary.

Black Beetle saw the steel human coming closer and whirled around to bring a fist down on Nate. Nate managed to catch the blow, grabbing Black Beetle on either side of his wrist. Nate grit his teeth, straining to keep his hold, and began to squeeze.

The armor beneath Nate's grip began to collapse, and Black Beetle shouted out in anger. The alien twisted, aiming his sonic cannon at Nate. Before he could fire, Black Beetle was being knocked aside by an electro-magnified stasis pod.

Black Beetle clambered to his feet, his teeth clenched as he scowled at the runaways around him. Ed began to fire the laser spear from afar, while Sam used her _chi_ energy to blast the alien from all sides, bouncing around to change her angle.

"I am starting to get _annoyed_ ," he muttered, his sonic cannon firing up again. The runaways scattered, heading for cover among the stasis pods. Nate dove to the side, narrowly missing getting caught in the fire.

"Ed!" Nate shouted, not really knowing exactly where Ed was. "Ask buzz-cut what the plan is!"

 _"_ _¡Sí, estoy en ello!"_ Ed replied, vanishing from sight. Nate flinched as the stasis pod right next to him got blown up by a sonic blast and made a dash for cover once more. Peeking out from behind his new hiding spot, Nate blinked in surprise when he saw the yellow alien who'd also been in captive in on of the pods. He was now lying face-down on the ground.

"What the hell?" Nate muttered. Black Beetle paused in his random firing of stasis pods to look around, and his eyes fell on the alien on the ground. If possible, the Reach warrior looked even more enraged.

"Mongul!" he shouted in an accusatory manner, turning away from searching for the teenagers. "This is all your fault." Mongul slowly rose to his feet, blinking his eyes open. He snarled when he saw Black Beetle across the room from him.

"Reach…" he replied with a sneer. Black Beetle growled and both alien launched themselves at each other, meeting in the middle. It was clearly a well-matched high. As they grappled, neither of the aliens payed attention to the humans in the room.

"Ohhhh," Nate murmured to himself, realizing what the redhead's plan was. It was a good distraction to cover their rescue. Nate crept out of his hiding spot and rejoined his friends. Usually the runaways turned to Virgil for direction, but this time even Virgil was looking at the redhead for instructions.

"You guys free the Team," the guy ordered. "There's something else I need to get." With that, the redhead sprinted off, leaving the runaways alone.

"Come on," Virgil said. He pointed at the control units on one of the stasis pods, and electricity crackled around, short-circuiting the mainframe and making the barrier fall down. As soon as the pods opened, the superheroes inside fell from their suspended state down to the ground of the pod.

Nate and Ed began using their stolen spears to fire at the controls of the stasis pods. It was much quicker and easier than figuring out how to actually open them. As soon as Ed had opened the pod with Superboy in it, he teleported into it to support him. Superboy was still unconscious, but Ed turned towards his friends to shoot them a thumbs-up, indicating that the hero was okay.

Although Nate was relieved about that, he was currently more concerned about someone else. Nate scaled one of the stasis pods in order to duck into the one that held his friend. Sara was unconscious, as was the other occupant of the pod – a girl with dark hair braided back from her face.

As he looked at her, the girl sat straight up. Her muscles were tensed automatically as she looked around the pod, her movements jerky and awkward. Her masked eyes locked on Nate's form, and she frowned. Without saying a word, the girl moved to the edge of the pod and dropped downwards, flipping to the ground easily.

Nate blinked, a little perturbed. Before he could think any more about the other girl's odd actions and lack of speaking, he noticed Sara waking up. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she groaned before opening them. She looked up, her blue eyes locking with Nate's, and blinked a few times.

"Nate?" she asked, sitting up a little. Her voice was groggy and raspy sounding. She grimaced, wrapping an arm around her waist like it hurt. "What the – what the hell is going on?"

"Hey," Nate said back, grinning. He maneuvered Sara so that he was holding onto her before jumping out of the pod and hitting the ground. He was about twenty feet up in the air, but his joints were currently steel, and he felt no pain. "You _so_ owe me Taco Bell after this," he teased her. Sara blinked, looking around.

"Get us out of here alive," she quipped back, realizing the situation they were in. "And maybe I'll agree." She unwound herself from his body, standing freely. The rest of the Team was also freed, although some of them appeared to be worse-for-wear.

The girl who'd been in the same pod as Sara was standing slightly away from the rest of the Team. For whatever reason, she still looked highly alert and uncomfortable.

"Let's go!" A voice shouted. The superhero with the buzzcut was running back across the floor. His arms were full of various weapons. He ran towards the controls for the door, looking back to make sure the Team was moving. Nate squeezed Sara's arm and then ran forwards so that he and the rest of the runaways as well as the one Team member were in front of the other weary superheros.

"Okay, get ready," buzzcut-guy cautioned the rest of the Team, raising his hand towards the control. "There's a squad of Reach soldiers waiting for us." Taking a deep breath, Nate fell into a fighting stance, brandishing the Reach soldier's spear. Buzzcut nodded once, and then pressed down on the control.

The door slid open with a creak, and Nate braced himself for a barrage of laser beams. But when the metal door slid completely open, Nate's mouth fell open.

The Reach soldiers had already been decapacitated. Standing over the sea of unconscious warriors were three other heroes – members of the Team who had evaded capture, Nate was guessing.

The buzzcut guy grinned, his shoulders relaxing as he ran forward to greet his teammates. Nate turned back to look at the other superheroes, waving them forward.

"Coast is clear," he announced. All of the Team members were extremely weary – heads hanging with exhaustion, and although they heeded his instruction and began to walk forward, it was clear that it was very difficult for some of them. Nate and his friends exchanged a look, and then walked back to help them.

Jason's eyes scanned the room anxiously. He relaxed when he saw his friends. One of the random teenagers in the room - Jason had _no idea_ where the hell five of these kids had come from - was helping Batgirl walk. Robin was being supported by Wonder Girl but appeared to be in one piece. And…Raptor.

The girl was off to the side, by herself. She was weaponless, as the boy who could only be Arsenal was holding all the utility belts, as well as Guardian's shield, Raptor's swords, and Wonder Girl's lasso. Jason was guessing that the Team had been stripped of their weapons when they'd been taken, and Arsenal had collected them back.

"Hey, fearless leader," Arsenal greeted Nightwing with a cocky smirk. "Better late than never." Jason could hear faintly hear Nightwing asking Arsenal several questions, but Jason was already moving forwards. Jason ran to Raptor, and then slowed down, unable to anticipate what the greeting would be.

Raptor looked up at him. Her eyes were covered by her domino mask, and Jason couldn't tell what she was thinking. He offered his hand to her a little hesitantly.

"Let me help you," he said, going for a middle ground greeting.

"I am fine," she replied without missing a beat, looking ahead instead of directly at Jason. Her hands were trembling almost imperceptibly, but her vacant tone of voice, her eyeliner, and her refusal of assistance told Jason one thing.

She was refusing to show weakness, and he was betting that the only reason she wasn't attacking anyone was the fact that she was unarmed and outnumbered, as well as weak from her capture.

But Jason knew – he wasn't talking to Karla. He wasn't talking to Raptor. He was talking to the Talon.

And Jason wasn't sure if Karla would be coming back this time.

* * *

Nightwing and the Martian girl lead the Team and the runaways back to a docking bay, where everyone boarded the BioShip. Nate looked around, smiling slightly. The last time he'd been here the Team had been rescuing him.

"Oh, how the tables have tabled," Sara muttered in his ear, no doubt guessing what he was thinking. Nate nearly choked with laughter, and he started hacking. Snickering, Sara abandoned him to his humiliation as everyone began to stare at him.

Tye pounded Nate on the back several times, smirking with amusement.

"Well," Nightwing said, walking up to the runaways. Nate struggled to quiet his coughing, muffling the sound with his fist. "I think congratulations are in order," Nightwing said, smiling. "No training, no guidance, and yet you pulled it off. When we get back, after a debrief, there might be a place for all of you on the Team."

"Wow," Virgil said, sounding awestruck. "Really?" Nate crossed his arms over his chest, and he could see Sam and Ed exchanging looks as well. Nate could also see Sara, standing behind Nightwing next to a young black woman wearing a yellow and black suit. Sara had been grinning at Nightwing's offer, but her smile faded when she saw Nate's face.

"So, now that we saved your butts, you're cool with us not being S.T.A.R. Labs' guinea pigs," Tye replied, sounding about as unimpressed as Nate felt.

"Dude, chill!" Virgil scolded his friend. Nightwing opened his mouth to respond to Tye's sarcastic comment, but Arsenal – that was buzzcut's codename – cut into the conversation, stepping in front of his leader.

"Before we head back we need to talk about Blue Beetle," Arsenal said, crossing his arms over his chest. "He betrayed us." Nightwing frowned, but again, he was interrupted before speaking.

"Look who's talking!" An unfamiliar voice snapped. All of the runaways swiveled around to look at the speaker. The young woman who'd been standing next to Sara was stepping forward, her eyes blazing. "Last thing I remember is _you_ blowing an airlock without warning!" She accused Arsenal. "Nearly got us all killed, and absolutely guaranteed our capture!"

Arsenal scowled, glaring at his teammate. Nate saw Nightwing's forehead crease – clearly this was news to him. Arsenal stepped forward, stalking up to the young woman. His shoulders were tight with irritation.

"Hey!" he snapped, defending himself. "After eight years on ice, there's no _way_ I was getting grabbed again. And in case you hadn't noticed, my _escape_ resulted in you being free right now to stand here and complain! So how about a thank you?"

Nightwing walked up behind Arsenal and placed a hand on his shoulder. He had heard enough to know what was going on now. The younger hero turned around to face his leader.

"You're right, Arsenal," Nightwing agreed. "Thank you. And after we get back to Earth," Nightwing continued, his face hardening. " _You're_ _off the Team."_ Arsenal didn't say anything, but his face went cold and stony.

"What?" Sara exploded from behind the group. She'd been watching the entire time, but now she stalked forward, just as angry as Bumblebee had been a moment ago. "That's not fair!"

"Yeah," Virgil agreed. None of the runaways had expected this turn of events. "If it wasn't for Arsenal we wouldn't have rescued anyone!"

"That may be," Nightwing agreed, still frowning. "But this isn't the first time he's pulled this kind of stunt: intentionally endangering the lives of teammates in order to further his own agenda or guard against his own personal demons. It's unacceptable. So until you prove yourself a team player, you have no place on this team."

Nate scoffed loudly – he couldn't help it. This whole thing was ridiculous – Arsenal saved the whole Team and he was being punished?

"That's not fair," Sara said again stonily. Her eyes were cold and icy as she stalked forwards towards her leader. "That's a double standard." Nightwing looked towards Sara, raising an eyebrow.

"In what way?" Nightwing asked. Sara took a deep breath and shook her head slowly. She didn't want to say it out loud – Raptor was her best friend and exposing that she wasn't entirely stable seemed like something a friend wouldn't do. Sara's silence spoke volumes, and Nightwing's face suddenly tightened as he seemed to realize what she meant. Shaking his head, he walked away.

"That's enough," he said. "Now let's get on board and get out of here. We can discuss this further when we're not behind enemy lines." Sara glared at Nightwing. She hadn't had a problem with the Team's leader until this very moment and now? Now she had a _big_ problem with him.

Nate glanced at his friends. The five runaways had gotten pretty good at reading each other, and they all knew that they were in agreeance about what to do next.

"Sounds like there's nothing left to discuss," Ed replied with a causal shrug. Virgil nodded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"See, we don't need your help getting back to Earth," he told the Team members in a self-satisfied manner. "Or your offer to join the Team." Nate smirked, raising his chin.

"We kinda have our own way of doing things," Nate added, raising his eyebrows. Tye glanced at Arsenal, and also Sara, who was still standing by her friend's side.

"What do you say, bro?" Tye asked. "Wanna ride with us?" Arsenal didn't even hesitate. He grinned slightly, walking over to join the group of teens.

"Sounds like a plan," Arsenal replied. He glanced back at Sara, and Tye seemed to read his expression.

"You coming?" Tye asked Sara, extending the invitation to her. Unlike Arsenal, Sara didn't respond immediately. She glanced over her shoulder, and then shrugged, a smirk spreading across her face.

"Well, Nate seems to think I owe him, and in extension the rest of you, Taco Bell, so…" The blonde girl headed over to the group as well, placing a hand on Arsenal's shoulder. "And I'm with this guy, no matter what."

Sam reached into her vest pocket and pulled out Father Box. Nightwing's eyes fell on the piece of alien tech and he stepped forward, his mouth falling open in shock. He put his hand out in a futile attempt to stop the ragtag group from leaving.

"Wait!" he cried desperately. "Is that a – "

"Home, please," Sam requested. Before Nightwing could finish the rest of his question, a boom tube opened up beneath the feet of the six teenagers, and they disappeared.

* * *

 **TAOS**

 **May 30, 00:33 MDT**

The boom tube opened up in the ceiling of the living room, and the six teenagers dropped about fifteen feet to crash land on the ground of the dirty safehouse apartment.

"So," Luthor's voice said, ignoring the pained groans of the teenagers. "Am I right in assuming congratulations are in order?" Nate rubbed his head, scowling at the computer screen, which he now realized was where Luthor's voice was coming from.

"Have you been waiting there this entire time?" he muttered, more to himself than to Luthor.

"Luthor?" Arsenal asked as he shot to his feet. He glared at the bald CEO on the screen, his teeth grinding together as he realized what had happened. The runaways had been played.

"Ah," Luthor said, seeing Arsenal. He clicked his tongue slightly, his eyes sliding away from the screen. "You brought home a souvenir."

"Two, actually," Sara replied, clambering to her feet as well. She raised an eyebrow at Luthor. She glanced at Nate, a teasing but slightly annoyed smile on her face. "I let you guys go and you go running straight into him? Man, maybe you _can't_ take care of yourselves."

"This guy's the reason I'm missing eight years of my life and my arm!" Arsenal seethed. He shook his head. "Don't you get it?" he asked the runaways. "He didn't care if you rescued the Team – he was using you!" Sara closed her eyes, realizing what had happened. The pieces all fell into place.

"You guys were the distraction," she said quietly. "You lured Black Beetle away from guarding the crystal key."

"So one of his other pawns could steal it!" Arsenal finished. Luthor chuckled from the computer screen.

"Mm…Deathstroke's more of a _bishop_ , really," he quipped. Sara rolled her eyes in disgust. "But I'm not sure I understand the problem," Luthor continued, shrugging innocently. "You rescued the heroes and dealt a blow to the Reach." He leaned closer to the camera, smiling appealingly at the teens. "Isn't that exactly what I promised you?"

Sam looked at Father Box, which she was still holding in her head. Without a word, she tossed it carelessly so that it landed on the keyboard of the computer. She pressed her hands together, activating a _chi_ blast to destroy both devices gifted to the runaways by Luthor.

"No more promises," Virgil said. His voice was dark with anger - he was sick and tired of being played _._

"Whatever," Nate muttered, crossing his arms sullenly. "We're _good_ on our own." The other runaways murmured in agreement, and Sara placed a hand on Arsenal's shoulder.

"I believe you," she said, all traces of teasing gone from her voice. She glanced at Arsenal and raised an eyebrow. He nodded. Sara turned back to the other teenagers and smiled slightly. "And so, we'll leave you on your own."

* * *

 _Karla was standing in the middle of a circus ground, a familiar place for her. She couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face. Everything here seemed so real. She could even smell the butter of the popcorn and the sugary-greasy smell of funnel cakes._

 _"_ _Karla?" a voice said hesitantly. Karla frowned, shaking her head. That voice…it was familiar, but it didn't belong here. Not in this place. Not in this memory. "Karla," the voice said, more strongly. Someone caught onto her arm, and Karla turned around._

 _M'gann was standing behind Karla, dressed in black uniform. She smiled sympathetically at Karla._

 _"_ _You have to come with me," M'gann said._

 _"_ _I don't want to," Karla replied. A feeling of panic exploded in her chest, and her heart began to race. She looked around at her happy circus-memory. Suddenly, it seemed less real. The smells were gone, and the colors were starting to fade._

 _"_ _I know," M'gann said, her eyes sad. She squeezed Karla's arm as the world faded to black. "I'm so sorry."_

Raptor's eyes flew open, and she gasped, her arms going out instinctively to steady herself. Someone grabbed her, holding her arms steady as she struggled to claw herself back to the present.

"What?" Raptor whispered, blinking a few times. M'gann was standing in front of her, holding her up. She let go of Raptor's wrists, looking at the younger girl with concern.

"Are you okay?" the Martian asked quietly. Raptor closed her eyes, struggling to comprehend what was happening. When she managed to process the Martian's question, she opened her mouth to answer it.

But for the first time ever, the automatic answer of 'I'm fine' didn't leave her lips.

* * *

 **okay so that's that. i'm sorry if this is kinda choppy or something i got really really tired while i was editing but i wanted to finish and get something up tonight.**

 **anyways.**

 **please leave a review and let me know what you thought! i love feedback so so much, and i really appreciate it!**

 **thank you!**


	15. Intervention

**To KingPenguinJG: Thank you so much! I'm glad you like Karla so much; it really means a lot to me. I'm also happy that you like the way I write Jason: I sometimes worry he's too OOC.**

 **To BraziaRios: Well, I'm glad it was in a good way at least! And here is the update! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **May 30, 06:21 EDT**

Raptor's shoulders were slumped with exhaustion as she departed the BioShip. After Miss Martian had pulled her back to the surface of her mind, she had been quiet and withdrawn for the entirety of the trip back from the War World. All she wanted to do was go home and sleep, which was saying something, considering the fact that Raptor was a borderline insomniac.

Raptor and the rest of the Team boarded the lift that would take them to the upper level of the warehouse. The elevator was large enough that the whole Team could fit comfortably in one trip.

No sooner than had the Team reached the upper level than did Impulse break the heavy silence of the room. He zipped up to Nightwing, putting his hands on his hips as he addressed their leader.

"Look," the speedster said. "I know this missing key is important, but we need to focus on –" Nightwing clicked a button on the computer in front of him, and the holo screen popped up. The channel was GBS News, with Cat Grant as the anchor. She was reporting on Blue Beetle and his new-found media fame.

" _Blue Beetle,"_ Cat Grant said, finishing Impulse's sentence. " _The so-called Reach superhero has dominated this news cycle with U.N. Secretary Tseng announcing his plan to present Beetle with the international Medal of Valor for saving the Earth from the War World."_ Robin scoffed, glaring at the smiling picture of Blue Beetle on the screen.

"That's a load of good press for a _traitor_ ," he sniffed derisively, crossing his arms over his chest. It wasn't like Robin to be so spiteful. He was usually a pretty soft-spoken guy, but like everybody else, he was exhausted and his nerves were on edge.

"Leave him alone," Raptor muttered. There was no heat in her voice, and she was leaning against the wall of the warehouse like she was too tired to hold herself up. Jason was standing next to her, looking concerned. "He can't help it," Raptor added, looking at the ground. Robin shrugged, looking away.

"She's right," Impulse added, jumping to Blue's defense as well. "Blue is just as much a victim to the Reach as we were. We have to save him." Impulse hesitated, glancing back at the screen. He grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know, before he conquers the Earth and enslaves all mankind."

"And how exactly do we do that?" Wonder Girl asked, crossing her arms over her chest. There was a long moment of silence, and then Nightwing spoke up.

"We'll discuss that later," Nightwing said, turning around to face the Team. "Until then, let's call it a night." He cracked a smile. "Or rather, a morning."

* * *

After what felt like an eon, Dick and Karla got back to their apartment. By the time Karla had gotten home, the sun had risen completely, but her desire to sleep had not lessened.

Instead of going to her room, Karla flopped down on the couch, throwing an arm over her eyes. Dick's footsteps halted as well, and Karla cracked one eye open to see him staring at her. He looked concerned.

"What?" she muttered grumpily, looking away from her brother. Dick sighed, seating down on the armchair across from the sofa.

"What happened?" he asked her quietly. She sat up with some difficulty, still not looking at her brother. She shrugged, picking at the end of shirt and pulling at a loose thread. "Karla?" Dick prompted her. He was speaking in a very quiet, gentle tone. Karla sighed, sensing that this conversation would persist until she answered him.

"I don't know," Karla muttered, casting her eyes towards the wall. "I just – froze. And when the Talon wanted to take over?" Karla shrugged again. "I…didn't stop her." Karla frowned, and then added, "I wanted her to do something." Dick nodded slowly.

"Why?" he asked. Karla looked at the ground again. She shook her head, trying to put her complex and messy emotions into a few concise words.

"I don't know," she admitted at last. "It's getting harder to control," she whispered, running her fingers up and down the arm of the sofa. "I don't know what's happening to me," she said again. Her eyes were suddenly burning, and Karla took a few moments to blink back tears. She took a deep breath, and added in a small, shaky voice. "I'm scared."

"It's going to be okay," Dick assured his sister. He got up from the armchair, walking across the room to sit next to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a side-hug. "You're going to be okay." She sat there for a moment and let him hug her. But then she began to shake her head.

"No," she whispered, her eyes far away. Dick started to protest, but she shook her head vehemently, shooting to her feet. "Dick, I'm not _okay_ ," Karla snapped. "I've killed two people in the past few months." She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears again. She scowled, blinking them back. "How the hell can you excuse that?"

"It's different," Dick said quietly. He couldn't believe the words were coming out of his mouth himself, but he couldn't help it. Dick reached out a hand, desperate to placate his sister. "It's okay," he added, the words tasting bitter in his mouth. "They weren't innocent – "

"How can you make excuses for me like that?" Karla asked him quietly, all her bravado gone. Dick shook his head, a million responses running through his head.

 _Because you're my sister,_ he thought. _Because I love you. Because I can't fucking stand the fact that you spent more of your life as an_ assassin _than you did with our parents._ Out loud, all he said was:

"I'm not excusing it." Dick spoke in a level tone, also getting to his feet. "What do you want me to do, Karla? Kick of you off the Team? Bench you completely?" Dick shook his head. "I'm a little more perceptive than you think, Karly," Dick said. "I know how lost you would be without this." Dick's heart was hammering in his chest. Even as he spoke out loud, he was doubting his logic. He was only nineteen years old – he didn't have any parenting instincts that helped him guide his sister.

"I know," Karla muttered, her shoulders slumped. Her body shook as she took a deep breath, trying to control herself. Her eyes were faraway. "Dick, we have to save Blue," Karla whispered. Her eyes trailed back to his face, and Dick couldn't help but notice how pale her skin was. Her cheeks had absolutely no color in them. "He's being held captive, controlled by the Reach and I just…" a shudder racked through Karla's body, and Dick nodded.

He could only imagine Karla's sympathy for Blue Beetle's position. She knew what it was like to be used as nothing more than a tool. Dick felt another pang of guilt when he remembered that _he'd_ treated her like that. He reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I know," he said. "And we will. But for now, I really think you should get some rest." Karla nodded her head slowly, taking a deep breath and exhaling. She turned around, but Dick called her name again. "Karla?" he said. She glanced back at her brother over her shoulder. "In case I haven't said it already," he said. "I'm sorry."

Karla stared at Dick for a long moment. At last she nodded her head, and granted him a small smile. It was tired, yes, but it was sincere.

"It's okay," she whispered. "I forgive you."

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **May 30, 13:16 EDT**

Karla slept for several hours, and when she woke up later that afternoon she felt slightly more human. Rolling over in her bed, Karla reached for her phone. She had a message from Dick, telling her that he was out. And a message from Sara.

Karla positioned her thumb over the message. Before she could open it and respond, her phone began to buzz. It was a FaceTime request from Sara, and Karla swiped the screen to answer her friend's call.

Sara's concerned face filled the screen, but she grinned when she saw Karla staring back at her.

" _Hey!"_ Sara greeted, grinning. " _Glad you answered."_ Sara hesitated, and then added tactfully. " _How are you?"_ Her eyes were shadowed with worry, and Karla smiled at her friend, touched by her concern.

"Hi," Karla said back. "I was just about to respond to your text." Karla thought about Sara's question before answering. "And I'm…back in my own body, at least," Karla commented wryly. She sat up to stretch, and then backed up so she was propped up by her pillows. "How are you?"

" _Good,"_ Sara answered with a shrug. " _Dinah and my parents want to kill me, of course, but I'm managing."_ Karla laughed, but the happy sound almost seemed to get caught in her chest. She cleared her throat, hoping that Sara hadn't noticed. " _So, what's the sitch with Blue?"_ Sara asked, her blue eyes bright with a mixture of concern and curiosity. Karla shrugged.

"I don't know," Karla admitted with a long sigh. "I don't think anyone knows, to be honest. We have a plan to free him from the Reach. But it's going to be difficult." Sara looked at Karla sadly, smiling at her sympathetically.

" _I wish I could help – "_ Sara began. She was cut off by someone in the background yelling her name. Sara sighed, rolling her eyes in irritation. " _Gotta go,"_ she said, smiling at Karla. " _See you around."_ Karla grinned back.

"See you," she said quietly, as the call terminated with a beep. Karla sat there for a minute, holding her phone in a trembling hand. She tightened her fist around the mobile device, hoping that she could steady herself. After a few moments, her hand steadied and she set her phone down resolutely.

Karla swung her legs over the bed and set her head in her hands. She paused there, taking a deep breath. She exhaled slowly, trying to put her thoughts in order. Closing her eyes, Karla nodded to herself.

"Okay, Karla," she muttered, idly wondering if talking to herself instead of the voices in her head was a step in the right direction or a step backwards. "Just keep it simple. Take it easy." Standing up, Karla tugged her hair into a ponytail. She was in _serious_ need of a shower.

Karla walked over to her dresser to grab some clothes. She lingered by her desk for a moment. Her laptop was on, displaying the last thing she'd been working on: the translations from Bialya. After struggling to translate them back in April, she'd sent them over to Doctor Fate to analyze. The Lord of Order had made quick work with translating them. And the results were nothing short of a godsend.

The translations ended up being an ancient ritual specifically for cleansing the Scarab. Best Karla could guess was that when the Scarab had crashed on Earth thousands of years ago, magicians of that time had managed to get the Scarab off-mode using this very ritual. She wasn't sure exactly _why_ , but all that mattered is that they had.

They could only hope it would work a second time, when they used it to save Blue.

* * *

 **EL PASO**

 **June 13, 20:40 MDT**

Two weeks later, after long preparation and planning, the Team's plan came to fruition. Zatanna had been prepping for the ritual since April, and she finally felt ready to perform it. As Zatanna put the final touches on her ritual, the rest of the Team had gotten with planning the actual attack.

Batgirl and Raptor were perched on a roof near Jaime's house, waiting. They had been tracking his flight plan for several days, and they were certain that he would take this route home. The streets of El Paso were deserted, which would make the ensuing battle quicker and easier, given that there were no civilians to worry about.

"I see him," Raptor reported, zooming in on Blue Beetle with the binocular function in her domino mask. She'd been scanning the horizon for any sign of Blue for the last ten minutes. She turned back to Batgirl, touching a control on her belt to return her vision to normal. "ETA thirty seconds." The elder hero nodded, pulling her grappling hook off her belt.

"Good," she said. "Prepare to execute." Raptor nodded, also pulling off her grappling hook. It was almost never used, as Raptor preferred the hook on her gauntlet currently hanging from her belt, but she also wasn't trying to pierce through Jaime's ankle, so the grappling hook was the better option by far.

"On my mark," Batgirl said. Raptor nodded tersely, locking her jaw. She curled her fingers around the trigger of the hook in anticipation. "Three…two… _now!_ " On Batgirl's command, Raptor shot her grappling hook, aiming for Blue Beetle's right ankle. Batgirl was doing the same, except she was aiming for his left.

Both girls hit their mark perfectly, and the force of the cable yanked Blue Beetle back a few feet. He whirled around, his face contorted in a grimace that was unlike something either of them had seen on the real Jaime's face.

"Batgirl! Raptor! What are you doing?" Blue Beetle shouted at them. "You know this won't hold us!" Both girls were straining, working against Blue Beetle's sonic jetpack that was pulling in the other direction. The cables stretched dangerously tight and thin.

"It'll hold for a couple seconds," Batgirl replied. Blue Beetle grit his teeth as the real Jaime mentally fought against the Scarab and the Reach ambassador controlling him. "And a couple seconds..." Batgirl continued, unaware of the quiet turmoil Jaime was going through.

"...is more than I need," Impulse finished, racing up the cables of the grappling hooks. As he did so, Blue Beetle's jetpack kicked into high gear, and the cables snapped. In a blurry movement too fast for Raptor's eyes to track, Impulse propelled himself onto Blue Beetle's back.

Impulse flipped over, hanging onto Blue Beetle's arms as the armored hero tried his best to push the speedster off of him. Impulse shoved his hand onto Blue's jetpack, vibrating his hand so fast that the jetpack broke off, falling to the ground in useless pieces.

Blue's eyes widened in panic as he began the free hall back to the ground. Impulse, on the other hand, flipped over in midair and landed on the side of the building. He raced down it, skidding to a halt next to Blue Beetle's unconscious body when it hit the asphalt of the road.

Raptor and Batgirl had been following the two boys from rooftop to rooftop, and now both girls leapt to the ground. Raptor reached into her utility belt, pulling out a small pellet filled with knock-out gas. She tossed it front of his body, and the green smoke filled the air.

"Sweet dreams, Blue," Batgirl said. Almost as soon as the words had left her mouth, two blue staples came shooting out of the cover of smoke. They hit Batgirl, pinning her to a tree. Before Raptor could react, two more staples came shooting out. Raptor cried out as the staples pulled her backwards, trapping her to the wall of building.

Raptor's head cracked backwards, and her vision faded as she lost consciousness.

When Raptor came to once more, she saw that their plan had worked. Blue was now trapped in one of Rocket's bubbles, and Zatanna was standing close by as well.

Raptor slowly got to her feet, nodding her head to herself. Her heart was still hammering with nerves about this plan: if it didn't work they were completely out of ideas. But so far, so good.

* * *

The plan was working, in the sense that Blue's attempts at escape had been useless thus far and that no backup from the Reach had arrived. The squad was also currently en route to Bialya, where Zatanna would complete the ritual to free Blue (and hopefully even Green) Beetle from Reach control.

Unfortunately, none of the heroes had planned on how whiny Blue Beetle would be on the hours long journey to Bialya.

"Enjoy your advantage while you can!" he shouted to them from his place in the levitating bubble. "The Reach track my every move."

"Good baby-sitters, then," Raptor muttered, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, trying to control her temper. But really, her nerves were already one edge and Blue was being _seriously_ irritating.

"And when we're through with you!" Blue Beetle continued to shout. "There won't be enough left for a DNA identification!" Raptor snorted and rolled her eyes. _Positively_ shaking _in my boots,_ she thought to herself sarcastically.

"Tell me our destination," Blue Beetle demanded after a minute of blissful silence. He was pressed up against the side of the bubble, glaring at the Team and League members. "And I'll make your deaths painless." Zatanna and Rocket exchanged an unimpressed look, but none of heroes said anything.

After another hour or so more of flying, during which Blue Beetle continued to shout various threat and demands that were spoken with the obvious formality of the Reach ambassador, the heroes reached their destination.

Batgirl piloted the SuperCycle down in a sharp dive, flying along the cliff-face that the temple was concealed behind. The hanger doors that the Alpha Squad had destroyed on this mission months ago were now re-sealed, and Batgirl shot two blasts from Sphere's guns at them.

The hanger doors blew open easily, but the explosion was loud enough to attract attention – which it did. As Batgirl flew down the runway, Raptor spotted soldiers at the end of long airstrip. There were a few dozen or so of them, and all were training weapons on the heroes.

"We've got company!" Rocket shouted, levitating a few feet above the SuperCycle. "And I'm otherwise occupied maintaining this bubble around Blue!" Impulse, on the other hand, smirked.

"Chillax, Rock!" he shouted back. "We're prepped for Queen Bee's tin soldiers." He moved to get up from his seat in the SuperCycle, but before he could, Zatanna was speaking an incantation.

" _Mrasid_!" she shouted, holding her hand out towards the soldiers. The soldiers' guns were suddenly levitated out of their hands and out of reach. Next to Raptor, Impulse pouted, disappointed.

"Hey," he complained. "I was going to do that." Zatanna shrugged.

"You can still…knock them out?" she offered. Another grin spread over Impulse's face as he nodded.

"Oh yeah. Crash." With that, he leapt off of his seat in the SuperCycle and began to speed towards the soldiers. He knocked all of them over and out easily. But when he slammed into the last person, they didn't even budge. Instead, Impulse rebounded off. He didn't go far, though, because the villainess grabbed him.

Smirking, Devastation picked up Impulse so that he was dangling upside down by his ankle. Impulse began to struggle, trying to kick Devastation with his free leg but to no avail.

"Hey, hey, hey!" he shouted, flailing uselessly in her grip. "Let go! Let go!"

Before any of the other heroes could move to help him Raptor felt the SuperCycle rock dangerously and then capsize completely, knocking all remaining occupants to the ground. Raptor rolled as she fell, popping back up in a kneeling position.

"Rocket!" Raptor called, looking around with panicked eyes. "The force bubble?"

"Holding!" Rocket shouted back. Raptor's head snapped towards the heroine, who was hovering a few feet away. "But I'm a sitting duck here!"

As Rocket spoke, Shimmer came running at her. Rocket just barely managed to dodge her attack, and Shimmer's hands hit the ground instead of Rocket's body. The portion of the floor that Shimmer's hands had touched dissolved, leaving a big hole in the ground.

"You were fools to bring us here!" Blue shouted from his captivity. "Queen Bee is our ally and her minions will destroy you." Raptor rolled her eyes, slipping her hand into her gauntlet as she prepared for a fight.

"Too bad you didn't build the Scarab with a mute button," she muttered sarcastically. Rocket overheard her.

"I know," the elder woman agreed. "I wish these bubbles were sound-proof." Shimmer launched herself at Rocket again, but Raptor met her in the middle, tackling her away from Rocket. At all costs, they needed to keep Blue inside the bubble.

Kicking the villainess across the face, Raptor flipped backwards to avoid being hit by Shimmer's hands. She was guessing any power that could dissolve the solid floor could also easily dissolve her skin and bones.

"We don't have _time_ for this." Raptor heard Zatanna gripe from a few feet away. " _Tcerider ym seimene tsniaga hcae rehto!"_ she called as Mammoth and Devastation began to charge at her. Instead of either of them hitting Zatanna, both of the heroes' adversaries hit each other, falling to the ground.

Raptor kicked Shimmer backwards, trying to make her fall down the hole of her own making. Unfortunately, Shimmer flipped over, landing on her feet on the other side of the hole. Shimmer smirked, thinking that she'd outsmarted Raptor, but then Mammoth and Devastation flew into her. She cried out in surprise as all three of the villains fell into the hole.

"Batgirl!" Raptor shouted, but the elder Bat was already one step ahead of Raptor. Batgirl tossed a little pod into the hole after their falling enemies, filling it with foam to stop them from climbing back up. Raptor frowned slightly and the quickness of the fight. It seemed just a little _too_ easy. Before she could dwell on this for longer, Rocket called out.

"Girlfriend, someday you have to tell me how you figure out those backwards words so fast!" Rocket called from where she was levitating a safe distance above the battle. Zatanna grinned mischievously.

"Maybe backwards is my native tongue," she suggested innocently. Rocket rolled her eyes, unimpressed.

"Seriously?" she asked in a deadpan tone. Before their banter could go on any further, Batgirl stepped in to redirect their attention back to the matter at hand.

"Come on," she ordered, beckoning the rest of the squadron forward. Across the room, Impulse had picked himself up and was limping towards the rest of the heroes. "Let's get to work."

The team trekked away from the unconscious bodies of Queen Bee's soldiers, Sphere rolling alongside them. Batgirl and Raptor led the way, since they had been in the temple already and knew where they were going. Before long, the squad reached the center of the temple, where an altar had once stood.

"Um," Impulse said, glancing at Zatanna nervously. "You, uh, sure you got the power for this?"

"Me?" Zatanna asked. She shook her head, starting to walk up the stairs to the broken altar. "No. But I'll summon it from those who do." Rocket flew over to the altar as well, lowering the bubble containing Blue Beetle down next to Zatanna. The magician raised her arms.

 _"_ _Retne a ecnart ot eraprep rof eht lautir..."_ she chanted. At once, her hair and coattails began to float around her. She levitated a few yards up in the air, entering a mystic trance as she meditated.

A sound caught Raptor's attention, and she whirled around to see what had caused it. Her answer came pretty quickly, as speeding out from around the corner was _Green_ Beetle. One of his arms had been configured into a sword.

"They all die now!" he shouted, flying directly towards the heroes.

Sphere beeped, changing forms so that she was back in SuperCycle mode. She flew up in the air, spinning around so that she hit Green Beetle dead-on. The blow caused the Martian to fall from the sky. Green Beetle crashed into the ground with a loud grunt, temporarily stunned.

"Guys, this is all on you!" Rocket shouted, floating a little bit higher away. "I still got my own Beetle to hold, and Z's smack-dab in the middle of her mystic trance." Raptor's eyes narrowed. She could only hope their backup got their soon: they were going to need help.

"Oh great," Impulse said sarcastically. "Not like our asses haven't been kicked by one Beetle already." Batgirl ran up, reaching into her belt to pull out a weapon.

"But this Beetle comes with his own personal Kryptonite," she said with a smirk. She tossed two small bombs onto the ground, and shouted, "Go!" Impulse, understanding what she was doing, raced forwards.

"Go!" he repeated. The bombs went off, igniting a little fire next to the Martian. It would have gone out if not for Impulse speeding around it, giving it oxygen. With the speedster's help, the small embers were fanned into a huge ring of fire that surrounded Green Beetle.

"Ha!" Impule said, returning to Raptor and Batgirl's side. He was grinning. "Crash. Those Martians really can't take the heat." Raptor frowned, studying Green Beetle the best she could through the flames.

"Maybe," she said, still cautious. "Stay alert. He has other abilities to compensate for his weakness." That was a little bit of old-Talon style thinking – never let your guard down, no matter what. Is your target dead? Sure, you stabbed him. But let's do it again just in case.

Yeah, kind of morbid.

Sure enough, the voices in Raptor's head were for once helpful. The Talon hissed, _"Behind you!"_ and Raptor swirled around to check her six.

She could see Green Beetle rising through the ground, having density shifted out of his fiery prison. Raptor opened her mouth to warn Impulse and Batgirl, but she was too late. Before the words could even leave her lips, the Martian had fired his sonic cannon. All three heroes were thrown backwards. It was by sheer luck that none of them fell into the flames.

Raptor hit the ground hard, and the hit stunned her as it knocked all the air from her lungs. As she struggled to catch her breath, she could hear the sounds of the fight continuing behind her. An elephant trumpeted, signaling Beast Boy's appearance, and she could hear Robin's voice as well.

Holding her head, Raptor pushed herself up slowly and looked around. She could see Zatanna's eyes glowing bright blue. The magician spoke, starting the ritual.

 _"_ _Ho yhtgim Sisi fo eht citsym baracs, evig em ruoy rewop!"_

Answering her call, the Scarab hieroglyph on the obelisk opposite of Zatanna began to glow blue. It broke off from the stone, and flew towards the magician, attaching itself to her forehead. At once, a blue glow surrounded Zatanna's body, and the aura of the Egyptian goddess appeared behind Zatanna.

"Woah," Raptor breathed, slowly standing up and clutching her aching ribs. Zatanna spread her arms, the goddess doing the same as the two began the ritual.

 _"_ _Tcurtsnocer siht elpmet!_ _"_ Zatanna's voice was now doubled, and her power was as well. The temple around the heroes began to glow with the same blue hue that surrounded Zatanna. The pillars reconstructed themselves, as did the cracks on the wall. Bits and pieces of stone flew about the air, sealing themselves back to their rightful places until the temple looked brand new.

 _"_ _Tekcor, won!"_ Zatanna cried. The bubble dissipated, and Rocket flew up and away, a safe distance from the circle Blue and Zatanna were in. Blue Beetle got to his feet, sneering at Zatanna.

"Fools!" he shouted, his hand forming a sonic cannon. Green Beetle had managed to get to his feet as well, and he joined in Blue's angry tirade. Wonder Girl's lasso still hung around his waist, a fact that the Martian seemed unaware of. "You will all die!" Both Beetles chorused, speaking for the Reach ambassador as the two Beetles fired their cannons at Zatanna.

 _"_ _Esnaelc eseht snoipmahc!"_ Zatanna cried, throwing her arms wide.

Impulse sped forward in a blur, grabbing onto Wonder Girl's lasso. He slung Green Beetle in the line of fire of both sonic cannons, ensuring that the Beetle took the hit and not Zatanna. The recoil of the sonic boom hit Blue Beetle was well, making the Earth hero fall to the ground. Both Beetles were in the boundary of the glowing circle beneath Zatanna: right where they needed to be so that the spell would effect them.

A pillar of light filled the circle, obscuring Zatanna and both Beetles from the sight of any of the other heroes. Electricity crackled off of the cylinder of light, and Raptor threw an arm over her face to shield her eyes from the bright light.

When she managed to crack them open again, the glow had dissipated. Both Beetles were lying prone on the ground, and the aura was fading from around Zatanna as well. She let out an exhausted groan, and began to fall, unable to summon the energy to lower herself to the ground.

Seeing her falling, Impulse sped up the stairs and caught Zatanna, carefully setting her back on her feet without harm. He supported her until she was able to stand steadily on her own.

"Zatanna, are you okay?" he asked. She nodded slowly, and Impulse's eyes fell on the two Beetles. He turned back to the magician, speaking in an urgent voice. "Did it work?" Both Beetles got to their feet, groaning. Raptor winced. She _really_ hoped this had worked. "Or are we back to square one?" Impulse continued. "Who controls the Beetles?"

"Let's find out," Zatanna said with a sigh. She was clearly exhausted; the ritual must have drained her. Still, she held up a hand and spoke one more spell.

 _"_ _Laever ohw slortnoc ruoy sbaracs!_ _"_ Raptor held her breath as the armor around each Beetle shrunk back, revealing Jaime and a Martian. She let out a big sigh of relief, and she couldn't stop the smile that spread over her face. It had worked.

"It worked," she whispered to herself, exhaling again. Zatanna smiled.

"Yes," she agreed, having heard Raptor's whispered words. "Jaime and B'arzz O'oomm are back in control of their own bodies." Jaime nodded shakily, a huge grin spreading over his face.

"It's true," he confirmed, sounding relieved. "I can feel it. I'm free of the Reach. For real this time!" Batgirl had her arms crossed over her chest. She was still a little dubious – as Raptor could tell Robin was as well. Batman's paranoia was _seriously_ rubbing off on them.

"Are you one-hundred percent sure?" she asked, looking at Zatanna with concerned eyes. "Because we've been through this before." Zatanna nodded, her blue eyes serious.

"I am certain of it," she promised, walking down the temple stairs to join the others. Robin pulled up a scan on his holocomputer, looking over the signals coming from the Scarabs on both of the Beetles.

"Reading no external signals since Zatanna worked her mojo," Robin confirmed, looking over the scans. "Neither Beetle is in contact with the Reach." Impulse grinned, walking up to Blue Beetle. The speedster was excited for two reasons – not only had he saved his friend, but he'd completed his mission from the past.

"Hey, hey, hey, _hermano_!" the hero shouted, holding up his hand for a high-five. "Congrats!" Jaime nodded, looking a little distracted. He ignored Impulse, instead throwing his arms around Zatanna in a grateful hug.

"Thank you," he breathed out, a huge smile still plastered across his face. Zatanna hugged him back, laughing slightly. Jaime took a step back, and in his head, his Scarab spoke. _Congratulations, Jaime Reyes,_ it told him. Jaime shook his head slightly. "Oh right," he said out loud. "Like you're happy about this." Impulse's eyes widened, not getting that Jaime was speaking to his Scarab.

"I am!" he protested, thinking Jaime was responding to his words. "I swear!" Raptor couldn't help but to smile at the speedster's obliviousness. Jaime didn't answer immediately, listening to the Scarab's response.

 _If this mistrust is your only takeaway from our time together,_ it said, echoing Jaime's words to it from earlier, when the Scarab had said that the Team planned to kill Jaime, _you haven't learned a thing. This Scarab far prefers our partnership to being slaves of the Reach._

"You know what?" Jaime told his Scarab. "I believe you." Impulse grinned, still unaware that Jaime's words weren't meant for him.

"Course you do!" Impulse said enthusiastically. "Up high!" He offered Jaime a high-five again, and this time Jaime slapped Impulse's hand, accepting it. The Hispanic boy grinned at his friend in relief, laughing at the sensation of being free.

 _"_ _It has been so long."_ B'arrz O'oomm's voice sounded in the heads of the Team and League members in a telepathic link. " _I had all but forgotten the sensation of controlling my own body."_ He looked up at the heroes, casting his gaze around the room. " _My gratitude knows no bounds."_

"Uh, that's great!" Bumblebee called from where she was hovering a few feet away. "But Queen Bee's goons are waking up." Batgirl nodded, looking over at the miniaturized hero.

"Which means it's time to go," the redhead ordered. The SuperCycle whirred, rolling up to the squad. Batgirl laughed, placing her hand on Sphere's side. "That's right," Batgirl agreed. "Let's move out."

* * *

By the time the Team had boarded the SuperCycle and left Bialya behind, day had broken - at least in this time zone. Impulse, Raptor, Robin and Batgirl sat in the SuperCycle, of course. Zatanna who was too drained to perform a levitation spell for an extended period of time, joined them in the back. The other heroes flew around the SuperCycle, close enough to talk to each other.

"So, spill," Blue Beetle finally said, angling his body slightly towards his friends. "How did you know how to cure us? That temple wasn't even in the Reach's database." Batgirl smiled.

"Bumblebee, Raptor and I first came across it months ago on another mission," the girl said, briefly taking her eyes away from the sky to speak to Blue. She nodded at Raptor, who was sitting behind her. "Raptor and I both recorded the hieroglyphics on the walls. I had all but forgotten about them, but a few months ago Raptor brought it to Doctor Fate to translate."

"After failing at doing it on my own," Raptor added with a wry grin as she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. The expression then fell from her face as it returned to her usual blank mask. "Anyways, Doctor Fate was able to translate the glyphs. It revealed a mystic ceremony the ancients had used to cleanse the Scarab of Reach control." Blue Beetle's eyes widened in realization and he nodded slowly.

" _That's_ why my Scarab was off-mode when I found it," he realized. Zatanna smiled.

"Because the ritual used magic of human origin," she explained. "Fate, a Lord of Order, could not perform it. Instead, he prepped me for it." Robin nodded, taking up the explanation.

"Meanwhile," he said. "Raptor, Batgirl and I got with the hacking. We started with the computer files of the previous Blue Beetle, the late Ted Kord. Ted's files revealed that an archaeologist named Dan Garrett first discovered both the temple and the Scarab in 1939.

"It fused with him the same way it fused with you, but Dan assumed it was some kind of mystic artifact, and he used it to become the first Blue Beetle of modern times," Robin continued. "When Dan passed away, he left the Scarab to his protégé, Ted Kord." Batgirl nodded.

"But Kord quickly realized that the Scarab was alien technology," she said, looking at Blue Beetle again. "Since he wasn't about to let an alien device fuse to his spine, he locked the Scarab away." Blue Beetle nodded slowly, realizing now what had happened.

"But Garrett still inspired Ted to become the second Blue Beetle," he said. "Even with no superpowers." Robin smirked, crossing his arms.

"I hear those are optional," he quipped. Raptor rolled her eyes affectionately under her mask, shaking her head with a smile.

"Anyway," she continued. "Ted suspected that the Light wanted the Scarab back in play. He tried to stop them from stealing it and paid the ultimate price." She nodded at Blue Beetle, raising her eyebrows. "That's where you came in." Blue Beetle nodded, eyes focused faraway.

"Guess I wasn't exactly what the Light or Reach had in mind," he mused to himself. Then he looked up, turning back to his friends. "But why keep all this from me?" Zatanna smiled.

"Because," she explained. "It took me months to learn the ritual. And not to mention configuring the ancient Bialyan incantations to work in concert with my magic." Blue nodded his head, filling in the blanks.

"And you couldn't risk letting the Reach know the temple existed until you were ready," he finished. Blue Beetle coasted slightly, swerving around the SuperCycle to fly closer to Impulse. He looked at the speedster incredulously, a grin spread across his face. "You managed to keep your mouth shut?" he marveled. "You?" Impulse lifted his head.

"Hey," he said seriously. "Making sure you stayed a hero was the main reason I came back to the past. So, I was motivated to keep my mouth off-mode." A slight smirk played across the speedster's face, and he added, "Don't you get used to it now."

"Well," Raptor teased the speedster, training her eyes towards the sky. "It was nice while it lasted." Impulse laughed good-naturedly at the rib, and Blue Beetle looked back towards Raptor.

He smiled slightly as he looked at the girl. He remembered what had basically been their last conversation, when she'd told him everything. When she'd told him that she wasn't always in control of her actions, but she liked who she was when she was with him.

Now more than ever, Jaime could understand what she'd meant, and why she'd lied to him. He could say with utmost confidence that had he been in her position, he would have done the same thing. When he'd been being controlled by the Reach, he'd thought about her and their relationship a lot.

Like, a pathetic amount.

And he was certain now: he knew that he wanted her back.

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **June 14, 02:31 EDT**

As the Team got closer and closer to the United States, the sky grew darker and darker due to the time zones changing. When they reached Blüdhaven, the local time was two in the morning. After the debrief, most of the heroes bid a speedy good-bye to go home and catch some Zs, but Blue Beetle hung around. He wanted to catch Raptor before she went home.

The girl came out of the bathroom, dressed in civvies. Her sunglasses were in place over her eyes, as there were still a few members of the Team lingering around the warehouse. She spoke quickly to her brother, asking for permission to go home, which he granted. As she departed the warehouse, Jaime caught up to her.

"Hey," he greeted. He glanced around, making sure they were out of earshot. "Karla," he said, smiling. "Can we talk?" Karla looked back at him. She took her sunglasses off and nodded apprehensively.

"Um, yeah," she agreed. She thought for a minute, biting her lip. "Let's go back to my apartment," she suggested. "It's just like a fifteen-minute walk." Jaime nodded.

"Sounds good," he said, following her across the street. The two teenagers lapsed into silence as Jaime tried to think about what he wanted to say. Before he could, however, Karla was speaking.

"Look, Jaime," she said, stopping and leaning against the side of the building. She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide and sincere. "I just want to apologize again. I really didn't mean to hurt you. It was the last thing I wanted." Jaime nodded, turning to face Karla. The two teens were illuminated in the light of the streetlamp.

"I know," he said quietly. "Actually, what I wanted to say was that I forgive you." Karla's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't been expecting that. Jaime reached down and took her hand, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. "And even more, I…understand." Jaime paused for a moment.

"When the Reach was controlling me," Jaime told her. "I had so much time to think, just trapped in my own brain." He looked down at Karla, his eyes soft. "I remembered what you said: that being with me made you feel like you should." Jaime shook his head. "I can't explain it," he said. "But now I understand."

Karla nodded slowly, her eyes wide as she processed this information. Jaime had forgiven her. The thought of it made her weirdly giddy. Slowly, she reached out, tucking her hands into the pockets of his hoodie. She curled them around the fabric and used the leverage to pull him closer to her so that their bodies were close together.

"Thank you," she whispered, smiling slightly. Jaime bent down, brushing his lips over her temple.

 _"_ _De nada,_ " he replied, wrapping his arms around her. Karla sighed, and then let her legs buckle as she slid down the wall. Jaime yelped in surprise, and then laughed, moving to sit next to her. Karla leaned over, tucking her face into his neck as he wrapped his arms around her.

The two teenagers there on the dirty sidewalk in silence, the soft light of the street lamp beaming down on them. It was the first time in a while both of them felt completely at peace.

* * *

 **so i guess i can't write romance \\_(. .)_/** **lol but i tried.**

 **anyways. here is where i will shamelessly self-promote my new story. i wrote a new YJ fic! so uh...go check it out? please? lol i would really love some feedback on it, so yeah.**

 **anyways, as always i would love to hear what you thought of this chapter and the story in general. please let me know in a review!**

 **until next time :)**

 **thanks!**


	16. Summit

**To KingPenguinJG: hehe I'm very excited for that part you just mentioned...I only hope I do it right. Also, I love the Clone Wars series, and I actually have several OCs for it in my head. Maybe one day I'll write a story - probably after I** **finish this one and Iron Justice, but who knows? Maybe I'll be tempted to do it earlier ;)**

 **To Guest: Yes, Karla is officially paired with Jaime now. Glad you ship it!**

 **To Guest: Glad I'm not alone...there will be more interactions between Karla and Jason and Jaime in the future, just you wait. Thanks for checking out Iron Justice!**

 **To BraziaRios: Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice. Raptor, Mockingbird, and Kitsune are mine :)**

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **June 18, 12:27 EDT**

Raptor looked at the stunned faces around her. Nightwing and Kid Flash had just revealed everything to the entire Team (plus Kitsune and Mockingbird): that Aqualad wasn't a traitor, and that Artemis wasn't dead. They'd explained every aspect of the undercover mission, and the Team had remained silent the entire time.

Judging by the looks on her teammate's faces, however, they didn't appreciate being lied to any more than Raptor had. Batgirl broke the silence, staring levelly at her best friend.

"Why didn't you tell us?" she asked Nightwing, somewhat coldly.

"The less people that knew, the better," Nightwing replied. "It's not that we didn't trust you!" he added hastily, when Batgirl opened her mouth to protest. "We trust you, we do. But our ultimate goal was – _is –_ to keep Kaldur and Artemis safe. We couldn't have it so that their mission could be passed around in casual conversation." Batgirl huffed, crossing her arms. She was clearly unsatisfied with his answer.

"If our ultimate goal is to keep them safe," Guardian said. "You should've told us. Every time we fought Aqualad we fought him with the anger of thinking he had betrayed us and killed our friend. What if we'd gone too far?" Miss Martian glanced at the ground, shifting uncomfortably. Nightwing sighed.

"I understand that you all are angry," he said in a defeated tone. He glanced at Kid Flash helplessly, and then continued. "At the time, it seemed like the best decision. Was the call wrong?" Nightwing shrugged. "Maybe. But I can't change that, not anymore. The only thing we can do know is get them out alive."

No one from the Team answered. Several of them exchanged dubious looks, like they weren't sure if Nightwing was truly being apologetic. Nightwing sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Dismissed," he said, raising his head. "Mission briefing in an hour. Get some food, some rest. You're going to need it." He'd purposely allowed for time to digest this news before briefing them on the plan and shipping out for the mission. He didn't want them to be distracted – he needed them as focused as possible for their extraction.

Most of the Team moved away, including Kid Flash. Mockingbird stood there, her arms crossed. Her face was mostly blank, but her eyes were gleaming. She turned her head, murmuring something to Kitsune. The Asian girl nodded, turning and walking away to leave Nightwing and Mockingbird alone.

"What?" Nightwing asked, sounding somewhat exhausted. Mockingbird smiled gently at him, and this time Nightwing recognized the gleam in her eyes as amusement. "What's so funny?" She shook her head slowly.

"Just remembering a time," she murmured. "Five years ago, when Kaldur made a call to keep something from the Team." Nightwing shook his head with a smile, remembering the whole 'mole' incident. The Team had been so upset that they'd refused to listen to Kaldur's reasoning, and instead taken off, almost costing themselves a mission.

"And?" Nightwing asked, wondering what her point was. Mockingbird stepped closer, placing a hand on Nightwing's shoulder.

"And…they'll forgive you," she said. "Just like we forgave Kaldur." Nightwing smiled at her reassurance, bowing his head. It was the first time he'd seen Mockingbird in person since Jason's resurrection, and Nightwing realized that seeing her didn't spark anger in him, not anymore. Only an aching sadness at the memories of how close they had been, and how distant they were now.

"And just like I forgive you," Nightwing said finally, looking at Mockingbird. She blinked, her eyes wide with surprise. She seemed to realize what he was talking about and nodded slowly, looking away.

"Oh," she said. "Uh, that. Right." She looked back at Nightwing. "I…thank you. How is – how is he doing?" Nightwing considered. Jason had always had a short temper, and although Nightwing had noticed some mild changes between how he had been and how he was now, there was nothing drastic.

"As well – if not better – than would be expected," Nightwing responded, shrugging. Mockingbird's lips turned up, the barest hint of a grin sneaking onto her face.

"Good," she replied, stepping back so that a more acceptable amount of space was between her and Nightwing. "And Dick, just remember." She squeezed his arm. "If you need help, I'm here. Not necessarily A.R.G.U.S., but me and Akari." She looked at him, her eyes intense. "We're always here."

* * *

 **SANTA PRISCA**

 **June 19, 00:00 EDT**

Raptor slipped through the ranks of the Shadows around her. She was disguised like one of the assassins, dressed in plain grey clothes and a hood over her face. Somewhere, among the _real_ Shadows, were Beast Boy, White Canary, and Lagoon Boy. Robin, Impulse, Wonder Girl and Blue Beetle had scattered among the other group of assassins that they Shadows had split into upon arriving at the island. Raptor could guess which of her friends was hiding under which hood, but it was hard to be sure as the four had scattered upon arriving in Santa Prisca.

The lead Shadow put their hand up, signaling for the group to halt before motioning for the Shadows to crouch down. Raptor followed the orders pliantly, falling into a stooped position.

If Raptor raised her head, she could see the summit happening below them. Across the cavern from Raptor was the Reach. The Ambassador and the Scientist were present, accompanied by Black Beetle and a dozen soldiers. Of the Light, Raptor could see Ra's al Ghul, Vandal Savage, Black Manta, the Brain, along with Kaldur, Tigress, Ubu, Deathstroke, and Monsieur Mallah.

Raptor's eyes slid across the room. As not to alert the other Shadows to any suspicion, she made no outward indication of her stress in her posture or breathing. Inside, her stomach twisted with anxiety.

If all had gone according to plan, Deathstroke was in fact Miss Martian in disguise. The Team had been forced to go radio-silent upon entering Santa Prisca, and Miss Martian had forewarned the Team that she wouldn't keep up a mental-link, just in case. They hadn't been sure if Psimon was going to be there or not, and while it didn't look like it, it was better to be safe than sorry.

In other words, Raptor was completely and totally in the dark.

The cavern the Light and Reach had chosen to meet in was large and mostly empty. The sound of the conversation from below carried easily to the top of the cavern, allowing Raptor to hear exactly what was going on.

"Ambassador," Savage greeted the Light's partners. He was smiling amicably enough, but Raptor knew enough to know that Savage was simply putting on an act. The Reach Ambassador dipped his head in greeting.

"Savage," he replied. Before either leader could speak again, Black Beetle stepped forward.

"As head of security for the Reach," Beetle announced, looking around at the Light's members. "I must insist: no masks be worn at the summit."

"Simply because you insist is no guarantee," Black Manta replied coldly. Ra's shook his head, turning towards Black Manta appealingly.

"Manta," he requested. "If you wouldn't mind?" He motioned to the group with a sweeping gesture. He smiled in a friendly manner as he spoke. "After all, we are among friends."

Raptor had to repress the urge to roll her eyes at Ra's obvious lie as Manta grunted, reluctantly removing his mask. As Raptor watched, Tigress took her mask off, hooking it to her belt. She could see as Artemis fiddled nervously with the charm that kept her in disguise.

"Satisfied?" Ra's asked Black Beetle as Deathstroke removed his mask. Beetle grunted, seeming annoyed, but he turned to step back behind the Ambassador. Smiling, the Ambassador clasped his hands together.

"Excellent," he said. "Now, with these formalities out of the way…" Savage smiled, finishing the Ambassador's sentence.

"Let us begin." The Ambassador nodded his head. He looked around, waiting for a moment, and then frowned. He turned back to Savage, cocking an eyebrow in question.

"And the other members of the Light?" he requested to know. "Won't they be joining us?" The Ambassador sounded somewhere between curious and suspicious. Although the Ambassador had been looking at Savage, Ra's was the one to respond.

"Our more public members are occupied," Ra's replied, smiling coldly. "Conducting damage control to mitigate your recent defeats." Ra's voice was free of any direct accusation, but the meaning of his words was clear. The Reach had failed.

"And in any case," Savage replied, narrowing his eyes at the Ambassador. "We are sufficient." The Ambassador sniffed, looking visibly annoyed.

"Fine," he acquiesced. "I know you called this summit," he began, starting to walk forward. "But the Reach has come with grievances against the Light." He scowled at his supposed partners, his tone growing icier by the second. "Please explain of the young Earth Champions were allowed the access to the Bialyan Scarab Temple under _your_ control."

Kaldur stepped forward, holding his hand up.

"If I may respond," the undercover hero called out. Before he could finish, Black Beetle swept his hand out, dismissing Kaldur.

"No, you may not," Beetle snarled. "Manta, keep your whelp meat silent." Even from above, Raptor could see Black Manta's shoulders tighten at Beetle's dismissal of his son.

"Beetle," Manta growled, taking a step forward. "Your insolence grows progressively less _charming_." Savage held his hand up, blocking Manta from continuing.

"My friends," he said. "I think we can all agree that in recent days, no one has done more, sacrificed more, for both the Light and the Reach, than Kaldur'ahm." Savage glanced towards Kaldur, who dipped his head in gratitude and acknowledgment of Savage's compliments. "That is why he was entrusted with security for this summit," Savage continued. "And why he's entitled to a voice here."

"Of course," the Reach Ambassador replied. He motioned to Kaldur to continue while simultaneously holding a hand up to order Black Beetle back. "He may speak."

"Thank you, Ambassador," Kaldur said, dipping his head in gratitude and walking forwards. "We acknowledge your concerns over the actions of my former team. But _you_ must acknowledge that the Light could not have known the significance of the temple, or that ancient Earth magic could overcome technology to free Blue Beetle and Green Beetle from your thrall.

"If the Reach had been more _forthcoming_ about how long ago their Scarab was sent to infiltrate Earth with a Beetle warrior," Kaldur'ahm continued, his voice mild though his words were accusatory. "The Light might have made the connection to the temple, and certainly would have provided better security for it."

"I told _you_ I wanted to study how Blue Beetle's Scarab had crashed prior to putting it back on mode," the Reach Scientist griped. She sounded clearly irritated, and the Ambassador's shoulders stiffened at his underling's words. "If you had followed by advice, we would have known about the temple and – " The Ambassador whipped around, presumably to glare at the Scientist, and she fell silent. "Apologies," she murmured in a subdued tone, her shoulder slumping. "I spoke out of turn."

"No, my dear," Black Manta replied. "You were quite correct to call your master's tactics into question. The Light has provided everything the Reach required, and you aliens had let it all slip away."

Underneath the cover of her hood, Raptor allowed herself to smile. Tensions were rising between the two supposed "partners." So far, the plan was going as it was supposed to.

"I don't believe this is a productive direction for our discussion," the Reach Ambassador said icily. He was clearly not pleased by the shift: he'd started blaming the Light, and now the Light was blaming him.

"No?" Ra's asked, his eyes narrowing. "Your public approval ratings are at a record low. As are sales of the Reach drink, which you had hoped would enslave the populace."

"You allowed the young heroes you kidnapped to be rescued by the very teenagers whose meta-genes you enhanced," Savage continued, his words turning into a menacing growl towards the end.

"After allowing their escape as well," Manta added.

"Worst of all," Kaldur'ahm finished. "Blue Beetle and Green Beetle have slipped from your grasp and fallen into the hands of enemy, the Justice League."

"Rest assured," the Ambassador said, attempting to smooth things over. He raised his hands in a peaceful gesture, a slightly strained amicable smile crossing his face. "Both Beetles will soon return to the fold. In fact, Black Beetle has been summoned to Earth from his post guarding the key chamber on the War World." Black Beetle nodded, a smirk crossing his face.

"To _kill_ Blue and Green," Black Beetle finished, sounding _way_ too pleased at that prospect.

"So that their Scarabs may be reset," the Scientist added, speaking for the first time since she'd been hushed by her boss. "And installed upon new host bodies that will forever be slaves to the Reach."

"So, do not question us on that score or any other!" The Reach Ambassador snapped, his calm tone disappearing. He took a deep breath and seemed to calm down ever-so-slightly. "Remember," he said in a menacing tone. "The Earth is now property of the Reach. And per our original agreement, the Light is merely our favored agents among the humans."

"Show the proper respect," Black Beetle ordered the Light menacingly. "Or suffer the consequences." From Raptor's position, she couldn't quite see their faces, but she could tell from the Light's stiff posture that they were not happy with this statement. Black Manta seemed the most upset.

"No agreement exists that makes a slave of Black Manta!" The villain cried, striding forward aggressively.

"No agreement exists that guarantees the _life_ of Black Manta," Black Beetle countered, stalking up to meet Black Manta in the middle. The Light villain halted, straightening his shoulders and staring the alien down.

"Manta guarantees that himself," he informed Black Beetle coldly. As Manta spoke, a small missile launcher popped up out of his shoulder, taking aim at the alien before him. Black Beetle's Scarab reacted accordingly, opening up Beetle's sonic cannon on his chest.

"It seems we have a stand-off," Ra's murmured, not sounding particularly disappointed at the way the summit was going. Raptor could see Deathstroke reaching for his sword, and others seemed to have shifted into similar defensive stances.

"No," Black Beetle replied shortly. "We don't." He shifted suddenly, throwing a sucker punch at Black Manta. The blow was powerful enough to send the villain flying backwards.

Tigress and Deathstroke reacted, both assassins springing forward to confront the adversary who'd attacked their boss. They double-teamed Beetle, dodging his attacks with his cannon and his fists, and taking turns in hitting with their weapons. Tigress was wielding a sword, and Deathstroke a bō staff.

The Reach soldiers who had been standing passively in the background leapt into action as well. They started firing their laser-spears at both Deathstroke and Tigress, as well as the other members of the Light standing in the back. The lead Shadow stood up, surveying the escalating situation. She held her hand up, signaling for the other assassins to move on her signal. Their orders had been, as the Shadow had explained earlier, to wait for one of the Light to cue them. That being said, the lead Shadow was allowed to use her discretion as well.

One shot flew directly at Ra's, making the Shadows around Raptor tense. Tigress reacted quickly, leaping in front of the immortal villain. She took the shot from the laser directly in her chest. Crying out, she lost her balance, stumbling backwards and hitting Ra's al Ghul. He steadied her, and she straightened up, chagrined.

"Apologies, Great One," she murmured, dipping her head to her superior. He shook his head, waving off her apology.

"None necessary, child," he assured her gratefully. "You have my…" His eyes fell on the gem around her neck and his voice trailed off. Tigress took off, rejoining the battle and Ra's frowned. "…thanks," he finished, his eyes narrowing suspiciously after Tigress.

The lead Shadow was still hesitating with her command to order the Shadows to intervene. The battle seemed to be petering out, and she knew that if she gave away their position, the Reach would survey their presence as the Light's betrayal.

"Enough!" The commanded echoed through the cavern, and the sounds of fighting cut short. Kaldur'ahm spoke loudly, his voice reaching every being present in the cave. "We are allies, not enemies," he reminded the battling groups. "Any conflict between us only benefits our true opponents – the Justice League and their sidekicks."

Raptor bit back a grin underneath her hood as the lead Shadow signaled for the group to stay put. Raptor had never been too concerned with the whole sidekick/partner/protégé thing, seeing as she wasn't really _anyone's_ protégé – maybe she counted as Nightwing's, though she was just as experienced as he. Still, she knew some were sensitive about their title, and she found the whole argument quite amusing.

"Kaldur'ahm is quite correct," Savage spoke up, stepping forward at last.

"Agreed," the Reach Ambassador said. "We must not allow petty disagreements to drive a wedge between us." He turned towards Kaldur, clasping his hands and bowing at the Atlantean. "Gratitude, Kaldur'ahm." The Ambassador then turned towards Beetle. "Stand down, warrior," he commanded.

"Ambassador," Black Beetle growled, beginning to protest. The Ambassador glared at his underling.

"Stand. _Down_ ," he ordered again. It was clear he was losing his patience. Black Beetle growled, lowering his arm and turning around. He walked over to where several Reach soldiers had been immobilized by Tigress's foam arrows. He fired his cannon at them, breaking the hardened foam apart in order to set them free.

Kaldur'ahm glanced at his father, who nodded. Black Manta retracted the missile launcher that was still sticking up from his soldier and turned to regroup with the other members of the Light.

"Should we not be concerned that Superman, Batman, the Lanterns, and the rest will soon return to Earth and once again sway public opinion to their side?" Kaldur asked, looking from the Light to the Reach for an answer.

"Superman and those accused with him will never leave Rimbor," Savage responded confidently. "The attack we forced them to make on that world, plus a few well-placed bribes, has guaranteed their conviction." Raptor frowned. She didn't like the sound of that - even if they found evidence proving that the Leaguers were innocent, they could still be wrongfully convicted by those Savage had bribed.

"And the Green Lanterns are forbidden by Guardian Treaty from returning to Earth now that we've convinced U.N. Secretary Tseng to welcome us here," The Reach Ambassador reassured Kaldur.

"As for public opinion," he continued. "I wouldn't be concerned. Though the tide has turned to a certain degree, it will be a simple matter to build on the foundation of half-truths we have already used to discredit the League in order to…" He trailed off as everyone's eyes, including Raptor's, were drawn to Ra's al Ghul. He was walking over to Tigress, his eyes narrowed. "Discredit them…" The Ambassador continued. "…again…"

"Great One?" Tigress asked Ra's, confused and somewhat wary. His hand jumped to her throat, wrapping around the necklace on her neck. She gasped, and Ra's pulled hard. The choker tore off, and Raptor's heart leapt into her throat as Artemis's face was revealed.

 _Well,_ that _wasn't supposed to happen,_ she thought to herself. True, the Team had planned to somehow reveal that Artemis and Kaldur were double agents, but they'd hoped to do it on their own terms. Unfortunately, that was no longer a possibility.

Giving no indication of her distress, Raptor leaned forward along with the other Shadows, pretending only to be interested in the fact that a known associate of Ra's had been an undercover hero. Inside, she quietly prayed that Artemis, Kaldur, and M'gann would figure out how to get the plan back on track.

"Artemis," Savage growled, glaring at the blonde hero. A shocked silence had descended over the villains in the Cave, and the Brain moved closer to better see what was happening.

"I don't understand," The Reach Ambassador said, shaking his head. "I thought Artemis was dead?"

"So did we all," Savage muttered in agreement, his eyes narrowed menacingly as he stared at the blonde archer. "But it seems Tigress _is_ Artemis." Ra's held up the necklace he'd torn from Artemis's neck.

"This is a glamour charm," he explained, studying the yellow gem stone distastefully. "Created, I'd wager, by Zatanna or Doctor Fate, to hide Artemis's true identity."

"But Kaldur'ahm _killed_ Artemis," the Reach Ambassador mused. "If she lives, and in disguise as his lieutenant, then that means…"

"That means Aqualad duped them all," Black Beetle growled. He seemed darkly amused by the situation. "Including his own father." The Reach Ambassador sighed, shaking his head like he was disappointed by the situation.

"Kill them both," he ordered, waving a hand dismissively. Black Beetle smirked. His hands turned into swords, and he stepped forward, ready to attack the heroes. Raptor struggled to remain calm, her heart thumping in her chest. Black Manta's eyes widened, and he leapt in front of Kaldur protectively.

"No!" he shouted, holding his arms out as he glared at Beetle. "You will not kill my son!"

"He's right," Deathstroke agreed. The assassin pulling a gun out from a holster on his hip. He aimed at Kaldur, shooting once, before turning the gun on Artemis and firing again. Black Manta whirled around, catching his son before he fell. Raptor couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy at the heartbroken look on Manta's face.

Deathstroke holstered his gun once more, watching mercilessly as Artemis hit the ground. "The Light takes care of its own," he explained, crossing his arms.

"Kaldur," Black Manta said, his voice shaking. He cradled his dying son in his arms, unable to process Kaldur's betrayal.

"It's too late, Father," Kaldur whispered. His voice was so faint that Raptor could _barely_ hear it. She was mostly going off the faint noise and the movement of his lips, which she could see clearly from her vantage point. "I have already…won…"

Kaldur's arm fell to his side as he died – or hopefully, as he "died," if M'gann had been successful with her attempts at replacing Deathstroke. The device he had clutched in his hand beeped, and a hologram of Kaldur appeared in the middle of the room.

 _"_ _If you are watching this,"_ the recording began. " _Then your summit is truly over. The Light and the Reach derserve each other. Both sides play at being partners, but the Reach believes the Light to be their naïve tools of conquest, when in fact the Light has manipulated the Reach from day one."_

"Shut this off," Vandal Savage growled at Deathstroke. The assassin shrugged his shoulders, his one eye wide.

"How?" he hissed back. Another hologram opened up by Kaldur's head, displaying images of the accused Justice League members.

 _"It was the Light that brought Earth to the Reach's attention by sending the Justice League to Rimbor,"_ Kaldur explained _. "The Light set their trap, and the Reach snapped at the bait, fulfilling the Light's desire to thrust our world into the galactic spotlight."_ The picture next to Kaldur's head changed, showing Lobo, the alien Raptor had fought back in January, as well as a Krolotean and a picture of the War World.

 _"_ _This was part of their perverse 'survival-of-the-fittest' scheme for the planet,"_ Kaldur continued, his voice hardening with disgust. " _Which they believe will transform the Earth and the Light into the eventual rulers of the Milky Way."_ Another video opened up, this time of Black Manta shaking hands with the Reach Ambassador.

 _"_ _Though the Light made a deal to help the Reach take Earth, they have also sabotaged the Reach's efforts,"_ the recording of Kaldur said. A picture of the five teenagers the Reach had experimented on popped up. _"They kept the enhanced meta-teens out of the Reach's hands. They added a neutralizing agent to the Reach's drink so that Earth's population would not become servile. They turned public opinion against the Reach, and they intentionally allowed the Team access to the Scarab temple to cleanse Blue and Green Beetle."_

 _I_ knew _that fight felt too easy,_ Raptor mused to herself, thinking back to her struggle against Shimmer. No wonder - they must have been ordered to throw the battle in the heroes' favor.

 _"_ _So, you see,"_ Kaldur finished, a note of triumph in his voice. " _Any agenda either side imagined they shared was nothing but a carefully crafted illusion. I trust I have_ shattered _that illusion,"_ he said almost smugly. _"As well as whatever remained of this sorry 'alliance.' Good night."_

The hologram flickered off as the recording came to an end, and Black Manta's gaze fell on the fallen body of his son. His eyes were tortured.

"Kaldur," he whispered in a heartbroken voice. "Kaldur, what have you done?"

"He has in death done more to damage my plans than any living creature has wrought in fifty-thousand years," Savage growled. He shook his head. "I'd be impressed if I wasn't so – " Savage's complaint was cut off by an enraged shriek from the Reach Ambassador.

"You Earthlings are a pestilence and a plague!" he shouted. The alien was literally shaking with uncontrolled anger. He began to stalk forward. "You _dare_ sabotage us? _Dare_ betray us? Have you forgotten who controls the War World? The Light is fortunate that you do not carve up this planet as we speak!"

"That would indeed impress," Savage replied coolly, considerably calmer in his anger than the Reach Ambassador. "As I have the War World's crystal key."

"That," Kaldur's voice said. "Is all I needed to know." Relief pumped through Raptor's veins as the Team's former leader rose to his feet. Black Manta recoiled backwards as his son rose.

"Kaldur – "Manta gasped, staring at his supposed-dead son. "You are – "

"Alive," Kaldur finished. "Yes." Artemis propped herself up on her arm, taking her cue to come back to life as well. Smirking, she held up a hand.

"If you would?" she asked Ra's, requesting that he help her off the ground. He turned around, his eyes wide with horror and shock. Artemis sighed, shaking her head as she pushed herself up. "And I always heard the Great One was such a gentleman," she mused as she rose to her feet, one hand planted on her hip.

"Impossible!" Savage shouted. "Deathstroke killed you both." Deathstroke rose his hand, his one eye glowing green as the sword on the ground levitated towards Savage's throat.

"Just for a little while," 'Deathsroke' said in a pleasant tone. "After all," he said, as Savage leaned back, away from harm by the sharp blade at his throat. "I wouldn't want to do any permanent damage to my…" his voice trailed off briefly as Miss Martian shifted back to her normal form. "…best friends," she finished, smiling cheekily.

"Not when a little misdirection and Hollywood special effects will do the trick instead," she added, curling her hand. The levitated sword responding, moving with her as she circled around Savage to meet Kaldur.

"For we value our true friends," Kaldur said as the two Team members met in the middle. "And unlike you, we are not short on them."

On cue, members of the Team began to pour into the cavern from where they'd been hiding. Superboy and Guardian jumped out from behind the Reach soldiers, Bumblebee floating nearby in her miniaturized form.

Out of another opening in the cavern came several A.R.G.U.S. agents. Mockingbird and Kitsune led the way, followed by a squadron of masked agents. The blonde girl smirked, wielding out her bō staff. Kitsune's fox-like eyes were dark with mischief as the Japanese girl sank into a fighting position, the agents fanning out behind the two leaders.

Batgirl and Nightwing flipped outwards from another entrance in the cave, and Kid Flash zoomed out after them. The redhead smirked, rising to his feet and waving at Savage.

"Hey there, Vandy!" he shouted. He fake-pouted, using a baby voice to taunt the villain. "Ya miss me?"

"Well played," Savage growled, looking around at the members of the Team and their allies that surround the Reach and the Light. "Well planned. But the Light always has contingencies." The Brain glowed, and the exits to the cavern slammed shut. The Lead Shadow took her cue and flicked her hand. Raptor rose to the feet, and she and the others poured into the Cave.

Above their heads, the top of the cavern opened to reveal the night sky and a full moon. More assassins rained in, dropping to the ground to mix in with the group Raptor was in.

Raptor landed in the circle that surrounded Nightwing and Batgirl. She wasn't sure if they could tell it was her or not, but she didn't dare signal them that she was there. Faintly, Raptor could hear Savage in the background, threatening the Team. She was too focused on her adrenaline to hear exactly what he was saying, although she did catch the end of his speech.

"…kill them all," Savage commanded the assassins. "Superboy may present a problem, but we'll deal with him when the other children lie bleeding on the ground."

"Still you refer to us as children," Kaldur noted coldly. "No wonder our successes mount. You consistently underestimate us." Across the room from Raptor, Blue Beetle pulled off his mask, and the armor shredded the rest of his disguise as a Shadow.

He rose into the air, blasting the Reach soldiers with his sonic cannon. Taking her cue, Raptor whirled around, knocking out the two Shadows closest to her with the butt of her sword before throwing off her hood.

Two Shadows turned on her, and Raptor ducked, allowing their swords to clash over her head. Raptor threw herself towards the ground, bending her arms underneath her so that she immediately sprang back up. Raptor tucked into a flip to avoid the slashes from her enemies' weapons.

Landing in front of them, Raptor swept one of them off their feet and disarmed the other in one swift slash with her sword. She kicked the disarmed Shadow backwards so that they fell off the small ledge and onto the hard floor below.

Across the room, Kitsune had summoned her astral form. The giant fox flickered around her body, absorbing the hits from the Shadows' swords and the Reach's lasers. The pain to Kitsune's human body only made her fox's form more powerful, and with a single swipe of her sword, Kitsune was able to take out those attacking her.

Mockingbird swept around the room at a low altitude, plowing into enemies as she went, effectively knocking them to the ground. She landed on a small ledge, pulling out a stun-gun and shooting the Shadows around her. The five A.R.G.U.S. agents she had brought along were holding their own against the assassins as well, knocking them out.

"Don't move," a voice commanded Raptor. The girl froze. She could feel the cool point of a sword at the back of her neck, applying a stinging pressure. She stood still, pondering how to get out of this situation without being beheaded. Before she could come up with a solution, she heard a grunt, and the pressure disappeared.

Whirling around, Raptor saw the Shadow falling to the ground. Another hooded assassin stood behind her attacker, holding a bō stick in his hand. Robin pulled off his head, nodding at Raptor. She grinned at him.

"Thanks, kid," she said, thumping him on the shoulder and ignoring his grunted protest as she threw herself back into the battle.

Raptor tucked into a front flip. She put her arms out, latching her hands onto the shoulders off a Shadow. Using the momentum from her flip, Raptor pulled the Shadow forwards. She planted her feet on the ground firmly, grunting from exertion as she slammed the Shadow into the ground.

Out of the corner of Raptor's eye, she could see Vandal Savage – and _Klarion?_ – fleeing in a portal of the Lord of Chaos's making. Black Beetle noticed as well, and he growled.

"Cowardly meat!" he shouted, rushing forwards. The portal closed before he could get there, and Ra's shook his head, holding his hand out in an attempt to placate the villain.

"No!" he yelled. "Savage has the right idea. This battle is pointless. Do not resist – the heroes have no jurisdiction here."

"Meaning _every_ piece of meat on the Light is a coward," Black Beetle growled. Superboy leapt in front of the alien, but Beetle easily subdued the half-Kryptonian throwing him to the side. Raptor watched with wide eyes as Black Beetle thrust a sword through the chest of Ra's.

Ra's gasped, his eyes going wide. Ubu, who was fighting Lagoon Boy a few yards away, saw Ra's.

"Master!" Ubu cried, shoving Lagoon Boy off of him. He crossed the cavern, catching Ra's as he fell. Ubu pulled out a grappling hook, kicking Artemis aside when she tried to stop them. "The Master will be resurrected," Ubu vowed as he carried Ra's up out of the cavern.

Raptor was torn from her position as a spectator as a Shadow crept up on her. She cried out as she was tackled to the ground. The Shadow chuckled, pinning Raptor to the ground by her wrists.

"Didn't the Court teach you to pay attention?" the Shadow asked, his voice simpering. Raptor frowned, faintly wondering how this person knew. It must be a high-ranking Shadow, maybe someone who was close to Talia or Ra's, as Raptor was guessing that both more-or-less knew her backstory. "The League is better," the Shadow taunted, pulling a dagger out.

"You know," Raptor replied amiably. "I'm not going to disagree." She slammed her head forward, knocking the Shadow backwards. Raptor hooked a leg around his waist, reversing their positions. She brought a fist back, and right before she knocked the Shadow out, she added sweetly, "But I'm better than both."

Raptor stood up, looking around. With a jolt, she realized that the battle was basically over. Ra's and Ubu were gone, Savage and Klarion were gone, and Black Beetle had just escaped with the Reach Scientist. The Ambassador was still pinned to the wall with one of Blue's staples, and all the Shadows and Reach soldiers had been taken out, along with the Brain and Monsieur Mallah.

Raptor's masked eyes swept the room. Mockingbird and Kitsune were standing among the A.R.G.U.S. agents. The winged women seemed to be checking over everyone's injuries. Nightwing was standing next to Kaldur in the shallow waters of the cavern. Black Manta was lying before them, unconscious in the water.

Raptor turned towards the two founding members of the Team, listening. Kaldur was listing those who had escaped, sounding somewhat despondent by the turn of events: he was chalking the night up as a failure, but Nightwing cut him off.

"Are you _kidding?"_ he asked incredulously. "Kaldur, you _won!"_

"' _Won?'_ " Kid Flash repeated, joining his friends conversation. He zipped away from Artemis, joining his friends at the water's edge. "Dude, you _triumphed!"_

"You've crippled the Reach and literally broken the Light in half," Artemis reminded the Atlantean as she too walked over. "Even took down Deathstroke before the summit! And since we holographically recorded the entire deal," she continued, picking up her necklace from the ground. "We'll be able to use the bad guys' own words against them to clear the Justice League!"

Kaldur lowered his head. Before he could either protest or agree with his friends' reassurance, Beast Boy ran up suddenly. The green teenager threw his arms around Artemis's waist, squeezing her tightly in a hug. The blonde stumbled, a little surprised, but then she laughed.

"What was that?" she asked, smiling affectionately at the young boy. He pulled back from her, an earnest grin spread across his face.

"I'm still just so glad that you're alive!" he said, sounding a little choked up. "And that Aqualad's not a traitor!" Then he scowled, pointing at Nightwing threateningly. "No more faking anyone's death for _at least_ a year, got it?" he ordered. Nightwing smiled, laughing a little.

"Seconded," Raptor muttered, shaking her head. Kid Flash was voicing the same opinion as the Bat, and he heard her, turning to flash a smile at the younger girl. She smiled back.

"Agreeded," Kaldur said, his shoulders slumping. Mockingbird turned, frowning when she saw the downcast Atlantean. She crossed the room, putting a hand on her old friend's shoulder.

"Kaldur, this was a _good_ night," she told him. She looked around, glancing at Kaldur, Nightwing and Kid Flash, cracking a grin. "Maybe the best since you three decided it was a good idea to take off for Cadmus, almost six years ago." Kid Flash nodded, speeding around to place his hand on Kaldur's other shoulder.

"So, enjoy the moment, my friend," the speedster said. "You've earned it."

Raptor tore her eyes away from the scene to look around the cavern once more. Her eyes fell on Blue Beetle, who grinned at her. She smiled back softly, and then turned away: she would talk to him later. White Canary looked up, catching her best friend's eye. The blonde crossed the room, slinging an arm around Raptor's shoulders.

"We did it," the blonde said, smiling. "We _did_ it." Raptor laughed, shaking her head. She looked up again, and Blue Beetle caught her eye. Both of them smiled, and Raptor leaned her head on Canary's shoulders.

"Yeah," Raptor sighed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Karla and the Talon. Both of them were there, but they looked…fainter than normal? She smiled at them, and to her surprise, she got two smiles back. " _We_ did it," Raptor repeated, sounding faintly surprised.

* * *

 **welllllllll...that's that! one more chapter until the end (of the episode arc! i have another several chapter arc post season2)**

 **please leave a review! i love hearing your feedback, even if it's just a few words. lemme know what u thought! ;)**

 **also if you haven't already, check out my new YJ story, Iron Justice!**

 **thank you!**


	17. Endgame

**it has been a minute and a half...I AM SO SORRY**

 **School started and things got absolutely crazyyyyyy. I can't promise consistent updates, but I'm going to do my best.**

 **To BrazioRios: Aww...I'm glad you like it so much! Never fear, even after this chapter there are still a few more waiting in the wings.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice**

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

 **June 20, 06:20 EDT**

Jason's feet hit the ground rhythmically as he raced through the streets of Gotham City. He turned corners without even paying attention, the run committed ton muscle memory at this point. He was used to running around Gotham, although usually it was in the middle of the night, he was in uniform, and he was chasing after some psychopath.

Given the fact that Dick and Alfred were _still_ refusing to let him back on patrol until after Bruce returned, Jason's pent-up energy had been channeled into the breaking punching bags in the Manor's gym.

Sick and tired of sweeping up sand from the busted bags, Alfred had put his foot down and insisted that Jason leave the Manor and get outside. Jason had originally planned to ride his motorcycle over to a gym to continue breaking punching bags, but as soon as he'd stepped outside the Manor he'd started running and hadn't stopped.

Turning around the corner, Jason's eyes fell on one of Gotham's many parks scattered around the city. He knew this park well – there was a two-mile trail that looped through the green. Blinking sweat out of his eyes, Jason considered. He had left the Wayne Manor at 5:30 that morning, and he was getting tired. He didn't want to burn out on his way back, but he also didn't want to turn around quite yet.

Deciding to end his run on the loop through the park, Jason crossed the street and headed through the square. As Jason ran, he ended up by the pond in the center of the park.

A noise caught Jason's attention, and he turned his head, frowning in confusion. His feet stuttered to a stop, and he stared with wide-eyed horror as an alien machine rose out of the pond. A ball of energy began to glow in its center, and immediately a storm whipped up above Gotham City.

Jason stared upwards, his heart pounding in his chest, as the ominously dark clouds spread out over the skyscrapers in a several-mile radius within seconds. Before long, the sky was black with clouds for as far as the eye could see. There was a clap of thunder, and lightning began to crackle.

Around Jason, people were shouting and running for cover inside buildings. Jason was frozen in place, and it took him a few moments to react. With a shaking hand, Jason pulled his phone out, dialing Dick's number.

"Dick?" he rasped when the older boy picked up. "We have a _serious_ problem."

* * *

 **THE WATCHTOWER  
June 20, 07:16 EDT**

 _"Recognized: Mockingbird, B-Zero-Five."_ The lights from the Zeta Tube died down, and Paityn Wren stepped into the Watchtower. Gathered across the room was Nightwing, Aqualad, Captain Atom, and Blue Beetle. The Atom was perched upon the Captain's shoulder.

Nodding a greeting to the men in the room, Paityn crossed the floor to join them. Her mouth was set into a thin line and her eyes weary. Nevertheless, she retained a business-like manner when she reached her allies.

"Thank you for summoning me," she said, nodding her head to Aqualad to acknowledge his invitation. "What's going on?"

"The natural disasters have escalated," Captain Atom said, motioning to the holographic screen in front of the group. Paityn looked at it, her eyes narrowing in concern as she observed the images displayed. "The League is spread thin saving lives across the globe."

"It's Black Beetle's MFDs," Blue Beetle explained gravely. Paityn listened to the younger teen, simultaneously observing the readings on the board in front of her. There had been three earthquakes in the past seventeen minutes, averaging a 6.8 on the Richter Scale. She bit her lip nervously – this was serious.

"The Magnetic Field Disrupters," Blue Beetle continued. "The Reach seeded them at multiple locations across the Earth. They're causing a deterioration of the planet's magnetic field, which in turn is causing these not-so-natural disasters."

"Can you locate them?" Paityn asked, looking from the holographic screens over to the younger boy. Her voice taught with concern. Nightwing glanced at his old friend, noticing with a stab of concern how exhausted she looked. Blue Beetle nodded, a small projector forming on his chest.

"Yes. But each is defended by Beetle Tech Drones, programmed to run interference until the MFD can build up enough steam to go chrysalis and end the world." Blue projected a picture of the Earth, a blip appearing to mark where every MFD was located around the planet.

"So how do we shut them down?" Captain Atom asked. Blue Beetle's projection faded, and he turned towards the adults once more. Paityn didn't like the look on his face – it suggested bad news.

"I don't know," Blue Beetle responded, proving Paityn's theory. "Because _Black Beetle_ didn't know. There's no failsafe – this was an endgame."

Blue Beetle's ominous words barely had time to sink in before the computer beeped behind the group

" _Incoming Transmission,"_ it announced. " _From United Nations Secretary General Tseng Dangun."_ The transmission line clicked on, but instead of the secretary, Luthor was staring out at the group. Paityn rolled her eyes in disgust - there were many people that she wouldprefer to talk to instead of the Secretary, but Luthor sure as hell wasn't one of them.

"Luthor!" Captain Atom spat, narrowing his eyes. "What are you –"

 _"Secretary Tseng was kind enough to let me borrow his frequency,"_ Luthor cut the hero off. _"As I have a possible solution to our mutual problem._ " Paityn crossed her arms, dubious.

"A problem created by _you_ and the _Light!_ " The Atom pointed out. "When they collaborated to bring the Reach to Earth." Luthor didn't even blink at the hero's accusation.

 _"Perhaps,"_ the CEO agreed. _"But as I believe you know, the Light always planned to betray the Reach."_ He lifted a flash drive up to show the heroes. " _LexCorp has developed Anti-Reach software, a virus that should disable their Magnetic Field Disruptors. Now, I believe time is off the essence._ "

Paityn's eyes narrowed as her hands clenched into fists. She exchanged a look with Nightwing, knowing that the he was thinking the same thing she was. That they _couldn't_ trust Luthor – but that they didn't have a choice.

* * *

 **METROPOLIS**

 **June 20, 08:16 EDT**

Raptor was gathered in Metropolis with the rest of the Team and League, listening to _Lex Luthor_ , of all people, explain how they were going to work together to save the world. Mockingbird and Kitsune were there as well, just back from deploying A.R.G.U.S. agents to take over for the League from rescuing civilians around the world.

Lightning crackled above Raptor's head, making her look up. The sky was darkened completely, clouds blocking out the sun and sky so effectively that it looked like nighttime, when in fact it was morning.

Jason had reported his sighting of one of the machines to Nightwing immediately, and Blue Beetle had performed a scan for them, allowing the heroes to formulate a plan. But still, it was a _questionable_ plan, at least in Raptor's opinion.

"Every single Magnetic Field Disruptor must be disabled before they go chrysalis to guarantee Earth's safety," Captain Atom said. "Each MFD is protected by multiple Beetle Tech Drones, and each drone is the equivalent of a Beetle Warrior.

"Blue Beetle has located twenty-three MFDs around the world," Captain Atom continued. "There's forty-six of us assembled here, so you'll be in squads of two."

Raptor's eyes fell on her boyfriend, who was standing next to Lex Luthor, helping the CEO produce the tech needed to neutralize the MFDs. Blue Beetle was synthesizing the eggs and Luthor was uploading his virus into each one.

"You will all be issued multiple Reach tech eggs containing my Anti-Reach virus," Luthor informed the heroes, holding up one of the eggs to show the assembled heroes. "While one hero runs interference with the drones, the other only has to physically touch his or her egg against an MFD to disable it."

Next to Raptor, White Canary sniffed derisively. She leaned over, murmuring in Raptor's ear quietly.

"You really think we can trust him?" she asked, nodding her head towards Luthor. Her voice was shadowed with doubt and suspicion. Wonder Girl nodded her head in agreement with Canary's question, and Raptor grunted, shrugging her shoulders.

"It's his world, too," Robin pointed out, overhearing the girls' conversation. "Pretty sure he doesn't want it reduced to space dust." Raptor sighed, crossing her arms as she glared at the CEO.

"Besides," she added, agreeing with Robin. "It's not like we really have another choice." The teenagers exchanged a grim look at that statement, realizing that the only reason they _were_ trusting Luthor was because they had no other plan.

"Alright, everyone," Captain Atom called out, drawing the teenagers' attention back to the front. "You've received your assignments. We'll distribute the eggs and go." Luthor turned towards the heroes, his face somber.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said seriously. "The fate of the world is in your hands."

* * *

 **MARKOVIA**

 **June 20, 15:31 EET**

" _Kappa Squad, report."_ Snapper Carr's voice crackled over the comm. link. The young man had taken over for Mal as the comm. manager and mission control. Despite the high-stakes mission, his voice was calm – exactly the tone the heroes needed.

"Kappa Squad, checking in," Mockingbird replied, pressing down on the radio in her ear to respond. She was flying a few yards above the ground, Kitsune running below her. "Approaching MFD now," Mockingbird added, seeing the machine a few hundred yards in front of them.

"Andddd there are the drones," Kitsune added, as lasers began to fly towards the two heroines. Sighing, Paityn leaned to the left and coasted hard in order to dodge the hits. Beneath her, Kitsune's astral form flickered, and the fox glowed around her.

Gritting her teeth, Mockingbird dodged another laser from the drones. She twisted in midair, pulling a gun from the holster on her thigh and firing several bullets at the drone attacking her. The shots hit dead-center, and the drone fritzed out and fell to the ground.

"Paityn!" Kitsune cried from the ground. She'd pulled out her sword and was slashing through one of the droids that was shooting at her. "Get to the MFD, now!" Mockingbird looked up, gauging the distance. She shook her head, making a split decision.

"No, you'll get there faster!" she called, tossing the egg to her friend. Kitsune caught it, looking up at her friend warily. Mockingbird nodded reassuringly, looking back towards the droids. "I'll cover you – go!"

Without another word, Kitsune took off. The drones immediately abandoned Mockingbird in pursue of the other hero threatening the MFD. Flying after them, Mockingbird pulled up in front of the drones and began to shoot at them.

She managed to take another drone out, but the last two were still targeting Kitsune heavily. Luckily her astral form was absorbing most of the damage, but Mockingbird wasn't sure how much more her friend could take.

Folding her wings up slightly, Mockingbird allowed herself to fall from the air until she was just a few feet over her friend. Snapping her wings out again, she used herself as a shield to block the lasers as Kitsune ran the last few yards towards the MFD.

Mockingbird reached into her belt, throwing a deactivator at one of the drones. It short-circuited, falling from the sky and hitting the other droid as it fell. As Mockingbird watched both drones tumbled towards the ground, something suddenly occurred to her.

This was _never_ going _to end_. There would always be someone, something to save. Mockingbird blinked, suddenly exhausted, and in her brief moment of distraction she failed to see the drone firing one last laser.

"Paityn, we did it!" Kitsune cried, staring at the disabled alien tech before her. The stormy sky was dying down as the machine deactivated. But there was no answer from her friend. "Paityn?" Kitsune said again, turning around with a frown on her face.

Her eyes fell on Paityn's body, crumpled on the ground. The young woman's wings were splayed around her, and Kitsune's mouth went dry at the sight.

"Paityn…" she whispered, falling to her knees next to her friend.

* * *

 **MADRID**

 **June 20, 14:32 CEST**

Raptor and White Canary had been paired together as Iota Squad, and the two had been deployed to scenic Madrid for their mission. Raptor had originally planned to go with Jason, as Nightwing had grudgingly accepted his help being that the situation was all hands-on deck, but at the last minute Nightwing decided that if he was letting Jason on the field, he wanted to be able to keep an eye on him.

Similarly, White Canary had assumed she'd be with Nate, but the League had decided to pair a League member with all of the Runaways. Nate had been partnered with Captain Atom.

As Raptor and White Canary ran through the streets, both girls couldn't help but appreciate the scenery. Truly, the city was beautiful – if you ignored the storm, the lack of people, and the fact that the world was about to end.

The MFD was located in a popular tourist spot, the Plaza Mayor, and the drones were circling the alien machine menacingly.

"You have the egg, right?" White Canary asked her friend, shouting over the roaring winds in order to be heard. Raptor rolled her eyes beneath her mask, flipping forward and rolling to dodge a laser blast from one of the Beetle Drones.

"Shit, I think I left it on the Metro," she replied sarcastically. She plucked a knife from her utility belt and flicked her wrist. The sharp weapon pierced the metal drone, and it clattered to the ground.

"Haha," White Canary drawled. "Get your ass in there and then we can get our asses out of here." The blonde planted her feet and opened her mouth, crying out. A sonic scream left her lips, and the drone it hit disintegrated immediately.

"Yes, ma'am," Raptor replied, tossing her best friend a smirk over her shoulder. Sobering up once more, Raptor sprinted towards the MFD in the center of the plaza. The drones immediately broke off from battling White Canary and flew after the other girl.

Raptor didn't even glance over her shoulder – she trusted White Canary to cover her six. Sure enough, another sonic scream tore through the empty plaza, echoing off the walls of the buildings surrounding the square.

The sound of the droid clattering to the ground made Raptor grin as she reached the MFD. She pressed the egg against the machine and the virus immediately uploaded itself to the machine's interface.

Raptor watched interestedly as the alien machine died down, the ball of energy disappearing. White Canary caught up to her friend, noting with amusement the curious, enraptured look on Raptor's face.

"Nerd," White Canary muttered playfully, elbowing her friend in the ribs. Raptor pouted, shoving her friend back.

"Kiss my ass."

* * *

Snapper Carr was standing before the holographic screens in the Watchtower, tracking the heroes' progress. Many of the squads had completed their mission and returned, but there were still a few heroes in the process of disabling the MFD.

"How's it looking?" Captain Atom asked the former civics teacher. He and Nate had returned about ten minutes ago, and the teenager boy had gone off to find his friends. Snapper Carr looked up at the chairman of the League, a small frown on his face.

"Twenty of the twenty-two squads have successfully disabled their MFD," he announced as Aqualad walked up to join the other men. "Theta Squad is still working, and Kappa never reported," Snapper added, a note of concern in his voice. He touched an image on the screen to double-check, and then continued, "But Kappa successfully disabled their MFD."

"Kappa Squad?" Aqualad repeated, frowning. He shook his head. "Paityn and Akari," he remembered. "It is unlike them to be so careless as to forgot," he mused.

"Do you think they're okay?" Captain Atom asked. Aqualad was quiet as he thought the Leaguer's question over. It was doubtful that Akari and Paityn would have been unable to handle the Reach Drones, but he was unsure of another reason for their silence.

" _Recognized: Kitsune, B-Zero-Six,"_ the computer announced, cutting off Aqualad's speculation. The Asian woman stepped out of the Zeta Tube, looking shaken. Aqualad frowned, walking over to his old friend. He was mildly concerned.

"You did not report," he noted. "Is everything alright?" Aqualad looked around, not seeing Mockingbird. "Is Paityn back at A.R.G.U.S. Headquarters?" There was a long moment of silence before Kitsune finally lifted her head, her fox-like eyes shining oddly.

"Paityn…" Kitsune said slowly. She shook her head, pain flashing across her face. "Paityn is dead," she whispered finally, stepping past Aqualad and further into the Watchtower. She crossed her arms over her chest, her lips pressed in a firm line together as she bowed her head, grieving for her best friend.

The heroes surrounding her were stunned into silence. The mission had been going so well – they couldn't believe that someone had died in the process. Nightwing stepped forward, his face twisted with pain at the news of his friend.

"What happened?" he asked. Kitsune closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm not sure, exactly," she murmured. "She was covering me, and then – I turned around and she was…" Kitsune spread her hands, not knowing the words to explain. "I buried her there," Kitsune added quietly. "I couldn't – bring her back."

There was a heavy silence as the heroes assembled in the Watchtower digested Kitsune's news. Kitsune lifted her head, shaking off the fog that had seized her since she'd left Markovia.

"Excuse me," she murmured, dipping her head. "I must report to A.R.G.U.S." She walked through the center of the Watchtower, heading over to a corner near one of the large windows where she would have the semblance of privacy. Nightwing watched her go, a small frown on his face. Something wasn't adding up for him.

After a few moments had passed, everyone began to whisper to one another again, discussing Paityn's death in hushed, mournful tones. Nightwing gave Kitsune a few moments, but when she lowered her hand from her comm. he headed over to where she was standing. She heard him coming, and she turned towards him, raising an eyebrow expectantly.

"Where is she?" Nightwing asked Kitsune quietly. The Asian woman looked at Nightwing, unimpressed. She scoffed, shaking her head in irritation and disgust.

"You don't believe me," she replied. It was a statement, not a question. Nightwing didn't answer immediately, mulling it over.

"I just – it doesn't seem right," he corrected Kitsune. "Paityn – she just can't be dead." He took a deep breath, struggling to express his thoughts succinctly. "I just –"

Kitsune cut Nightwing off, placing a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes were sad as she spoke quietly to him.

"Dick," Kitsune said to her friend, slowly. Her eyes were unfocused, heavy with grief as she continued. "Paityn is gone – she is at peace, finally." She squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "She's gone," Kitsune repeated, more firmly. "Let her go."

As Nightwing and Kitsune talked in the corner of the Watchtower, the comm. crackled open in the center where Snapper Carr was managing the mission.

" _Asami has deployed the egg and disabled the MFD,"_ Black Canary's voice reported over the open comm. line back in the Watchtower. Snapper Carr smiled slightly, nodding his head and checking the screen in front of him.

"Good work, Theta," he replied, though his enthusiasm dimmed by the news of Paityn's death. "Twenty-three squads deployed and twenty-three MFDs destroyed," he announced, turning towards Captain Atom. "The mission was a success."

"We missed one," the Atom replied immediately, effectively dampening everyone's mood further. He flicked open a new holographic screen, displaying the planet and its surrounding magnetic field, which was far from normal. "The Earth's magnetic field is still being disrupted."

" _Blue Beetle to Watchtower."_ The teenager's voice sounded over the radio as he confirmed their fears. " _I'm reading a twenty-fourth MFD. It's in the Arctic, hidden from my previous scans by Earth's north magnetic pole. Sending coordinates."_ Kitsune and Nightwing were rejoining the group, and the girl caught the tail end of Blue Beetle's report. She frowned.

"There are no Zeta Tubes in the Arctic," Kitsune said, alarmed. "How are we going to get there in time?"

" _Don't worry, gang!"_ The Flash's voice piped up over the comm. " _I've got this."_ There was a moment of tense silence and then Flash spoke once more, his voice horrified. " _Flash to Watchtower,"_ he alerted. _"The magnetic field disrupter – it's already gone chrysalis. And I'm not sure if the egg –"_

 _"The egg is useless now,"_ Luthor broke in. The CEO had been tracking the heroes' progress ever since they'd been deployed on their missions, but this was the first time he'd intervened. " _You're too late."_

" _What now?"_ The Flash asked urgently. Kitsune listened on bated breath for Luthor's response, and her heart sank when he spoke.

" _Now you run,"_ Luthor replied. The Flash began to protest, and Luthor explained that he hadn't meant for the speedsters to run away, but instead wanted them to run around the vortex and dispel the energy using their speed. Their momentum would counter-act the chrysalis and negate the energy.

" _Is it really that simple?"_ The Flash asked, incredulous.

"I wouldn't call it simple," the Atom piped up from Captain Marvel's shoulder. "You'll be attempting to siphon its power with your own speed trails. It'll take a _massive_ amount of kinetic energy."

Kitsune frowned. She didn't like the sound of this plan – it seemed too dangerous, too risky. But then, what choice did they have?

Kitsune sighed - that statement really seemed to be theme of today's mission.

" _Recognized: Kid Flash, B-Zero-Three."_ Kitsune blinked, turning her attention to the Zeta Tube as it powered off. Her heart sank rapidly as she realized Kid Flash's plan. She exchanged a nervous look with Nightwing, and he nodded.

"Let's go."

* * *

Miss Martian piloted the Bio-Ship towards the Arctic. The ship contained the founding members of the Team, minus Kid Flash who was already at the Arctic, and of course Mockingbird. Blue Beetle had also accompanied the other six heroes.

Nightwing led the others off the ship, bounding down the gangplank and looking out at the vortex. It was slowly down noticeably, but it hadn't quite stopped.

"It's working!" Nightwing cried in relief. "They're shutting it down."

 _Earth's magnetic field is stabilizing,_ Blue Beetle's Scarab informed the armored teenager. Blue Beetle grinned, pumping his fist. _But there is a problem, Jaime Reyes,_ the Scarab continued, cutting Blue Beetle's celebration short. _The Kid Flash is in danger. His slower speed is making him an exit valve for the chrysalis's energy._

As the Scarab continued telling Blue Beetle what was happening to Kid Flash, it was also adjusting Blue Beetle's vision processing speed so he could see. Kid Flash was continuously being hit with energy blasts, making him stumble. He cried out in pain, and Blue Beetle's eyes widened in horror. _In sixteen seconds,_ Scarab continued gravely. _He will cease._

"Cease?" Blue Beetle cried in panic, making Kitsune look over at him in confusion. "Cease what?"

"What?" Kitsune asked, alarmed. "What's happening?" Blue Beetle looked down at the elder hero, clear anguish displayed on his face. He shook his head slowly, unable to articulate what his Scarab had just shared with him.

"They did it!" Miss Martian suddenly cried. Kitsune turned her head, her eyes widening with relief as she realized the vortex has dissipated. The speedsters were hidden behind clouds of snow that they had kicked up, but the other heroes ran towards their teammates anyways.

When Kitsune and the others reached the exhausted speedsters, she suddenly knew what Blue Beetle had meant a few moments before. Her heart sank with horror when she realized that Kid Flash was nowhere to be seen. Swallowing hard, Kitsune slowed down, her heart hammering in her chest as she heard Aqualad and Miss Martian congratulating Impulse and the Flash.

"Wait!" Artemis cried out, noticing the same thing. Her voice trembled with emotion as she spoke. "Where's Wally?" Kitsune turned towards the Flash, desperately hoping she was wrong. The raw look of agony on the Flash's face proved to her that she had assumed right.

"Artemis," he began, his voice shaking with emotion. "He wanted me to tell you…" Artemis shook her head, her eyes widening and filling with tears.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. Flash reached out, placing his hands on her shoulders. He looked at his nephew's girlfriend, his heart aching for her as much as it did for himself.

"He loved you," he whispered. Artemis's face crumpled at the Flash's words, and tears began to stream down her face.

She sobbed, losing balance as her knees cracked against the snowy ground. Kitsune ran over, dropping down beside her friend and wrapping her arms around the archer's shoulders. Miss Martian knelt on the other side of Artemis and both girls embraced their sobbing friend, unable to comfort her.

Kitsune raised her head, her face ashen as she made eye-contact with the other heroes surrounding her. All of them were stunned into a quiet shock - none of them had expected the day to turn out this way.

They had saved the day – they had saved the _world._

But they had lost two of their teammates, two of their allies.

Two of their _friends._

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

 **June 21, 00:32 EDT**

After a long debrief in the Watchtower from both the Team, the League, and A.R.G.U.S., all the heroes were finally dismissed and were returning home. Raptor and Nightwing had decided to go back to Gotham with the other Bats for two reasons.

One, they wanted to ensure that Bruce knew that everything had been taken care of while he was away, and two…

Two, they had to break the news to him that while he'd been away, Jason had been resurrected.

Dick had volunteered to be the one to break the news. He had known Bruce the longest, and best knew how to handle his reaction, whatever it might be. Still, he waited until they were about twenty minutes away from Gotham to begin talking. He didn't want Bruce to have to sit on the news for too long before seeing Jason.

"Bruce?" Dick ventured, walking out of the hold and into the cockpit. He sat down in the co-pilot's seat, glancing over at the man who had raised him. Both men had taken off their masks, and Dick couldn't tell if this was ideal or not. He considered weighing the merits of telling Batman vs. telling Bruce, but before he would Bruce answered Dick.

"What is it?" Bruce asked his former ward gruffly, glancing over at the nineteen-year-old boy. When he looked over at his son, Bruce felt a pang of concern. It about two hours, Dick had lost two of his closest, oldest friends. There was no doubt he was in pain, and in shock. To his surprise, however, Dick began to talk about something else entirely.

"There's no easy way to say this," Dick began, his eyes focused on the dark sky. "But while you were on Rimbor – well – " Dick sighed, cutting himself off. He groaned in a frustrated manner, scraping a hand through his hair.

"Spit it out, Dick," Bruce said, almost amused. But at Dick's next words, Bruce's humor faded quickly.

"Jason is alive," Dick said quickly. Bruce's breath caught in his throat, his mind whirling at Dick's statement. For a moment, he was certain he'd misheard the younger man, but one look at Dick's face told Bruce that he'd heard what he'd heard.

"…how?" Bruce asked after a long moment. He took a ragged breath, struggling to control his emotions and whirlwind of thoughts going through his mind. "What happened?" Dick closed his eyes and began to talk.

He told Bruce how one of Paityn's task forces, dubbed the Suicide Squad had come across Jason on a mission months ago. Jason had caught sight of Harley Quinn, one of the incarcerated super-villains serving time on the task force and had flown into a blind fit of rage, nearly killing her.

After subduing Jason, the A.R.G.U.S. agents had brought him back to their headquarters. After running some tests, Paityn had concluded that Jason had been resurrected via the Lazarus Pit, and had had Zatanna perform a ritual on him to restore his mind.

"Paityn didn't tell me any of this," Dick finished quietly. "Not for months, not until after you were off-world." Bruce stared steadfastly forward, processing Dick's words. He nodded robotically, the words _Lazarus Pit_ running over and over in his head.

He was going to have _words_ with Talia about this.

"How is he?" Bruce asked finally, his voice surprisingly steady. Normally, it might not have been the best idea to give someone shocking information while they were flying a plane, but Bruce found the motions of flying oddly comforting. It gave his brain something else to focus on. Dick shrugged.

"Hard to tell," he admitted. The nineteen-year-old ducked his head, looking abashed. "I've been busy…and he's even more resolute now than he was before." As Dick spoke, Bruce piloted the Batwing down into a gentle descent.

The black jet broke through the clouds, revealing Wayne Manor. Bruce expertly maneuvered the jet downwards. When he pressed a button on the interior of the plane, the grassy yard of Wayne Manor split open to reveal the BatCave's hanger entrance.

When Bruce and the others departed from the plane, Alfred was standing there to greet them. He dipped his head genially, smiling at Bruce.

"Master Bruce," the butler greeted the head of the household. "Welcome home." Bruce's nerves were frayed and on edge from Dick's news, but he managed a smile at the elderly man who had helped rear him.

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce replied. He looked around, almost nervous. "Jason is – "

"Upstairs, sir," Alfred said. He turned around, leading the pack of Bats up the staircase to the main level of the house. The grandfather clock slid shut behind Tim, the last one up, and Bruce looked around.

The Manor looked exactly as he'd left it, months ago. Which, to be honest, was to be expected with Alfred's meticulous cleaning. Footsteps made Bruce raise his hand, and Jason appeared at the end of the hallway.

The boy blinked nervously, shifting his feet.

"Hey, Bruce," he greeted, hooking his thumbs pockets of his jeans. His posture was stiff. "Um – "

"Jason," Bruce replied. He stepped forward, crossing the room quickly, and pulled his formerly-dead son into a hard hug. Jason stiffened, his shoulders going rigid underneath Bruce's touch at first. After a moment, he relaxed, letting his breath huff out. He leaned into the embrace, pressing his forehead against Bruce's shoulder.

Karla watched Jason and Bruce from a few feet away, a small smile across her face.

* * *

 **THE WATCHTOWER**

 **July 4, 21:16** **EDT**

Blue Beetle entered the Watchtower through one of the airlocks, letting his armor retract back into the Scarab as he did so. He had been watching the Green Lanterns escort the Reach away from Earth to stand trial, and it had made him feel great.

The future had been _changed,_ and that moment had proved it. Jaime knew he would never turn, never be "on mode," and he would _never_ betray the human race.

The doors hissed open, making Jaime look up to see who had entered. Raptor stepped out into the otherwise deserted hallway, and Jaime grinned at her. She smiled back in her usual cool, smirky way.

"Hey," she greeted her boyfriend, walking over to him. He reached out, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into a hug. She laughed, tilting her head back to look up at him. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Jaime responded, burying his face into her hair. He smiled against her head, tightening his grip around her. "I'm just happy." Raptor smiled, pulling back and taking his hand. She laced their fingers together, pulling him along with her.

"Come on," she coaxed him. "Let's go be happy somewhere else." Jaime and Raptor walked back towards the main area of the Watchtower together. They ended up in the forest area of the Watchtower, which doubled as the new memorial for the fallen heroes.

Raptor noticed with a pang that although two of the former statues were missing – Jason's and Artemis's – they'd been replaced with two others.

Bart – the new Kid Flash – and Artemis, now dressed as Tigress were talking beneath Wally's statue. Raptor hadn't known the speedster well, but she knew full-well that he'd been Dick's best friend. Her brother was taking his death hard, and he'd even announced to Raptor that morning that he was taking a leave of abscess from the Team.

Which, if she was being totally honest, scared her more than she cared to admit. She wasn't sure how to operate without her brother as a leader – but she was determined to try.

Beneath Paityn's memorial – Raptor was betting that her death was also taking a toll of Nightwing – was Wonder Girl, White Canary, and Robin, along with Virgil. Jaime tugged on Raptor's hand, leading her over to the others.

"Welcome to the Team, Virgil," Wonder Girl said, smiling at the boy. Virgil grinned, placing a hand on his chest.

"Call me… _Static_ ," he replied, proudly introducing his hero alter ego for the first time. Robin grinned, nodding a greeting towards Raptor and Jaime as they approached.

"Catchy," he complimented. He paused, and then added, "So…what about your pals? I take it they declined our invitation?" Static nodded, remembering his friends on his first team with a stab of nostalgia.

"Well, Arsenal was always more of a solo act," he replied, knowing that the redheaded archer had continued to fight crime his own way. "And the others are getting out of the game." White Canary smiled, rolling her eyes at Static's statement.

"You can say that again," she replied. "I'm trying to get Roy to come around – I think he may be _slowly_ warming up to the idea, but we'll see." She shook her head. "I think the others made the right choice," she added, thinking mainly of Nate. She echoed the words she'd told him when she'd reassured him that he wasn't being selfish for wanting a break. "They'll always have their powers – they can save the world again when they're ready."

"Wise words," Raptor teased her friend, leaning against Jaime's shoulder. The Hispanic boy put his arm around his girlfriend, poking her in the side playfully.

"Be nice," he admonished. Raptor grinned, blowing a kiss at White Canary.

"She knows I love her," Raptor replied cheekily. Robin shook his head in amazement, looking at the girl across from him. She had changed so much in the past few months, she was almost unrecognizable. She was still sarcastic and snarky, still had a temper, but now he could see her true personality.

Robin knew that it wasn't just the fact that White Canary had befriended Raptor, or that Raptor and Jaime were dating. It wasn't just that Jason had come back from the dead. He knew that Raptor had finally come to terms with a lot of her past, and even though she was – in her words – a "work in progress," she was doing way better.

" _Team,"_ Aqualad's voice called over the loudspeaker, breaking Robin from his reverie. " _Report to the mission room."_

"And that's our cue," Jaime said, letting his armor grow over his body. He grinned at his friends. "Let's go."

* * *

The Team and the League gathered in the mission control room together. Once everyone was assembled, Batman began to speak.

"Having stopped the Reach invasion and broken the Light in half," Batman began. "The Team will now operate out of the Watchtower, side-by-side with the League. Not because Mount Justice was destroyed," he continued. "But because you earned it."

"And so," Black Canary added, smiling at the Team before her. "We'll leave you to it." The League departed, and the Team was quiet for a moment, basking in their success and the honor that had been bestowed upon them.

Aqualad didn't let them celebrate for too long. After a few moments, he turned around and began to brief the Team.

"This Team has had its successes," he started, a smile on his face as he spoke. "But much remains to be done. Superboy, Miss Martian, Beast Boy: you're Alpha. B'arzz O'oomm has called from Mars, he needs help. Tigress, Kid Flash, Bumblebee, Gaurdian: you're Beta. LexCorp is bringing out the Reach soft drink under a new name. We need proof."

 _"Recognized: Kitsune, B-Zero-Six."_ The Watchtower computer cut Aqualad off, and everyone turned to look at the heroine as she stepped into the space station. She looked around, a small smile on her face. She nodded at Aqualad.

"This clown car got room for one more?" she asked cheekily, walking over to join the group of heroes. Aqualad smiled at her, pleased at her presence but also puzzled.

"I thought you were with A.R.G.U.S.," he replied, cocking his head to the side. Kitsune smiled sadly, shaking her head as she looked at the ground.

"I really only ever left the Team because Paityn was my best friend," Kitsune explained. "I didn't want her to be alone. And now…" she spread her hands. "I don't want to be alone." She shrugged, adding, "Lyla Michaels was always Paityn's second-in-command, and she is leading A.R.G.U.S. well. She doesn't need my help. But...I was wondering if you guys did." Aqualad smiled at the Asian girl.

"You are always welcome," he told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Join Gamma Squad – you will be researching Batgirl's new lead on Vandal Savage." Kitsune dipped her head, grinning with relief.

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed, turning to look out at the rest of the Team. Aqualad grinned, looking at his team with pride on his face.

"Very well," the Team's leader said. "Move out."

* * *

 **guys - THIS IS NOT THE END!**

 **i'll (hopefully) have the next chapter out before october ends...i have to update my other stories first, so we'll see how everything goes.**

 **anyways, i'm super sorry about this chapter - it took so long and it still feels choppy and rushed to me but idk, i did my best.**

 **please please please leave a review and let me know what you think! i love any and all feedback!**

 **thank you!**


	18. The Truth

**To Guest: Wonder no more, the chapter has arrived! (better late than never, right...? i'm sorry it took so long) and one of your wishes is in this...kinda sorta.**

 **To ComprehensiveJellyfish: Glad you liked the start, and I hope you kept reading! There may or may not be a few Karla and Sara moments coming up in these last few chapters...stay tuned ;)**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Young Justice, only Karla.**

 **Extra Disclaimer cuz I'm paranoid: As far as I know, I came up with the plot of this chapter. Any similarities to other published works, whether fan fiction or canon was done accidentally and unknowingly.**

 **also if anyone is sensitive to cursing for whatever reason, heads up there's a little bit more of it in this chapter.**

 **okay, let's get started!**

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **July 18, 18:21 EDT**

Jaime shaded his eyes against the late-afternoon sun, scanning the park for any signs of his girlfriend. They'd planned to meet here at one o'clock…he was a little bit late, but when he'd texted her five minutes ago she'd said she was waiting for him. Frowning, Jaime glanced down at the texts he'd sent her. He tapped out a message to her, about to start worrying when a familiar voice spoke behind him.

"You are _very_ unobservant." Struggling not to yelp, Jaime spun around, his dark eyes wide with surprise. Karla was standing behind him, her lips pressed together in a thin line as she struggled not to laugh at her boyfriend's shock. "How did you become a superhero again?" she asked teasingly, walking up closer to him.

Jaime rolled his eyes, pouting slightly as he bent down to kiss her. Karla laughed again, pecking his lips and murmuring a quick hello. Jaime stepped back, dropping his hand down to intertwine his fingers with hers. She grinned, tugging him over to where she'd been sitting before he'd came. Jaime plopped down on the bench next to her, slinging an arm over her shoulders.

Karla tilted her head back against Jaime's shoulder, shutting her eyes against the still bright sunlight. She smiled serenely, and Jaime poked her cheek playfully.

"You seem…suspiciously happy," he told her. Karla opened her eyes. She attempted to mock-scowl at Jaime, but she couldn't even achieve that and instead began to laugh. Jaime laughed too, shifting his hands so that he was pulling Karla across his chest.

"I know," she replied after a minute. She paused, thinking over what Jaime had just said. "For once," Karla said seriously, looking up into Jaime's eyes. "Everything in my life is fine." She grinned. "Not _perfect_ maybe, but… _good_." Jaime grinned back, bending down to brush his lips over Karla's forehead.

"I'm glad," he whispered. Karla reached her hands up, wrapping them around his neck and pulling him down for a deeper kiss. She pressed her mouth against his firmly, parting her lips gently to deepen the kiss. Jaime let her for a few seconds, and then pulled away. "There are _kids_ around," he said, laughing and glancing at the playground nearby, embarrassed. Karla grinned impishly back, her bright blue eyes practically glowing.

"Fine," she said, standing up. She held out a hand to Jaime, tilting her head to the side and smirking suggestively. "Then let's go somewhere where there _aren't."_ Jaime bit his lip to keep from grinning too hard and then took her hand, accepting her offer.

As the two teenagers walked back towards Karla's apartment they talked mindlessly about their friends and a botched mission from three days ago. Karla hadn't been on it, and she was laughing, entertained by Jaime's retelling of the events.

"And then your brother – " Jaime suddenly stopped short, all the color draining from his face. Karla paused, her eyebrows wrinkling in concern as she looked back at her boyfriend.

"Jaime? Everything okay?"

"Your _brother_ ," Jaime groaned, raising his hands to cover his face. "He's going to murder me, isn't he?" Karla laughed.

" _That's_ what your worried about?" she asked, shaking her head. " _No._ Don't worry, Jaime. Dick's not going to do anything to you." Karla paused, briefly wondering if she shouldn't have mentioned Dick's name.

When she'd had to tell Bruce how and why she'd had to reveal her secret identity to Jaime, he had not been pleased, to say the absolute least. He'd acquiesced that the danger of someone linking Karla back to Bruce Wayne was minimal, but he still hadn't been very happy with her decision - or the decisions that had led her to have to tell Jaime. Shaking off that thought, Karla continued.

"Seriously," she said, turning to face Jaime. "He has no stones to throw when it comes to relationships." Jaime raised an eyebrow at Karla, unconvinced.

"Still. You're his little sister and he's Night –" Karla clapped a hand over Jaime's mouth, her eyes wide. She cast a glance around and then pulled her hand away, raising a finger to her lips. Jaime grinned sheepishly, also glancing around. "Sorry. But – you know what I mean."

Karla shook her head in amusement. She took Jaime's hand and began to pull him along again, mulling over his words. "You'll be fine," she promised, walking into the lobby of her apartment building. She pressed the button to call the elevator and the doors slid open. "But anyways, he's not going to be there. He's out of town."

Jaime nodded his head, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he exhaled a sigh of relief. Karla couldn't help but to chuckle at his reaction, and stepped closer to him, hooking her fingers into the belt loops of his jeans.

The doors of the elevator opened with a _ding_ as the car arrived at Karla's floor. She stepped out, leading Jaime down the hallway to her apartment. She unlocked the door, pushing it open and stepping inside. Jaime followed her, and both teenagers stopped short in the entry hall.

"Well," Karla said, putting her hands on her hips and staring at her brother in the middle of the living room. "I _thought_ he was out of town." Jaime groaned, ducking his head as his cheeks flushed.

"I bet you did," Dick replied dryly, arching an eyebrow at his sister. Karla smiled innocently, and Dick sighed. He glanced at Jaime, who was clearly uncomfortable. "Hello, Jaime." The Hispanic boy started, his eyes widening comically.

"Uh – _hey_ Night – Dic – uh…hi," Jaime replied, stuttering over the other young man's name. He grimaced, shuffling his feet in embarrassment. Dick couldn't help but to smile at Jaime's awkward greeting. He briefly toyed with the idea of threatening him, but one look from Karla told him exactly what she thought of that idea. Sighing, Dick smiled and stepped forward.

"Dick Grayson," he introduced himself, holding out his hand. Jaime blinked, looking a little startled. He took Dick's hand, shaking it. Karla watched Dick like a hawk, her eyes narrowing as she studied his posture in an attempt to figure out if he was trying to threaten Jaime. Dick noticed her watching him, and purposely left his shoulders relaxed.

(But if Dick gripped Jaime's hand a little harder than necessary – well. That was something he'd never admit to Karla.)

"I hate to interrupt," he said, not really meaning it. He pulled away from the handshake. "But I need Karla's help." Karla frowned, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"What's going on?" she asked. Dick rubbed his jaw, considering. The situation wasn't so extremely important that he needed Karla's help right away, but he was concerned. And he wasn't sure he could in good conscience leave his sister at home with her boyfriend unsupervised. And besides, Jaime looked _extremely_ uncomfortable.

Really, Dick was just doing the younger boy a favor.

"I'll explain on the way," he replied finally. Karla frowned, her eyebrows kitting together with concern at Dick's cryptic words.

"Okay," she said. She glanced at Jaime, smiling apologetically. "Sorry…I guess I have to go." Jaime shook his head, waving off her apology. He was almost relieved, to be honest.

"I understand," he assured her. He bent his head to kiss her cheek and then murmured in her ear. "I can see myself out. I'll see you tomorrow." Karla squeezed his hand, nodding her head with a smile. Jaime nodded at Dick quickly before turning to leave. When the door clicked closed behind him, Karla turned to face her brother.

"I'll ignore the fact that you just ruined my date for now. What's going on?" she asked again. Dick sighed.

"It's Jason."

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

 **July 18, 19:18 EDT**

"So let me get this straight," Karla said as she stepped out of the Zeta Tube in the BatCave. She raised an eyebrow at Dick in an unimpressed manner. "You just pulled me away because Jason's throwing a tantrum?" Dick smirked, ruffling Karla's hair.

"Not quite the way I'dput it, but yeah," he admitted. Karla shoved his arm, rolling her eyes in playful annoyance. Dick laughed, starting up the staircase. "Oh, come on. I was just doing Jaime a favor – poor guy looked like he'd give anything to get out of there."

"Yeah?" Karla said, crossing her arms over her chest. "And whose fault is that, again?" Dick grinned. Rolling her eyes, Karla pushed through doorway of the BatCave, stepping out into the entry hall of Wayne Manor. The grandfather clock slid shut behind her.

"He's in his room," Dick told her as he headed down the hallway. Karla was guessing he was heading towards Bruce's office. That, or that kitchen.

Nodding to herself, Karla climbed the staircase. When she reached the second floor, she walked down the hallway towards Jason's room, the fourth door on the right hand side. The door was closed, and there was no noise coming from inside. Karla knocked on the door.

"Jason," she called, rapping on the wood. "Let me in." There was a beat of silence and then an annoyed groan. The door swung open and Jason scowled at her. Karla grinned at her friend, pushing past him and falling down on his bed. "Wow. You look _really_ happy. What's going on?"

"I don't even fucking know," Jason muttered, falling on the bed beside her. Frowning, Karla sat up in concern. She poked the side of her friend's head until he looked up. She surveyed his face in concern – his eyes were bloodshot, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

"Are you on drugs?" Karla muttered. Jason recoiled, his head shooting up. He glared at her.

"Of course not," he scoffed, irritated. Karla held up her hands defensively.

"Sorry! But you look like shit." Jason didn't answer. He lowered his face back down into the pillow and fell silent again. Karla sighed, a little bit annoyed. "Okay, please talk to me. About something. _Anything._ I didn't come all the way out here to watch you mope." Jason peeked up at his friend.

"Fine." He straightened up and looked at Karla. He frowned. "Why did you come out here?"

"Well, Dick purposely dragged me here to get me away from a very promising evening with Jaime –"

"Who's Jaime?" Jason interrupted, sounding more confused than interested. Karla paused, her cheeks flushing slightly at the question. Jason's eyes widened with realization. "You have a _boyfriend?"_ Karla looked at Jason's incredulous expression and burst out laughing.

"Gee, thanks," she said, shoving him in the chest. Jason let the impact push him back onto the comforter as he listened to Karla laugh. Jason couldn't lie, he was surprised. Not because he thought no one would date Karla, he just hadn't really expected _her_ to date just anyone. He scowled into the mattress, resolutely ignoring the feeling blooming in his chest. "Okay, seriously. What's going on with you?" Karla asked him.

"I don't know. I'm bored," Jason replied. He rolled over and Karla's face swam into his vision.

"I thought Bruce has been letting you patrol lately," she responded, tilting her head to the side. Jason shrugged moodily.

"Yeah, but…" Jason trailed off. He wasn't sure how to phrase this emotion to Karla – or to anyone else, really. He just felt…antsy, angry. Any time he tried to focus on anything, the feeling grew and grew until he all he wanted to do was scream.

A knock on the door broke through the silence of the room. Dick's voice called out from the hallway.

"Jason, Karla. Bruce needs all of us downstairs." Karla exchanged a look with her friend, and they got up. When the two teenagers reached the entry hall, Bruce was already there with Tim, Alfred, and Barbara. Karla raised her eyebrows. Clearly, something big had happened.

"The Joker has escaped Arkham Asylum," Bruce told his team, cutting straight to the chase. Next to Karla, Jason froze. "I got the call from Commissioner Gordon twenty minutes ago. We're not sure where he is right now, but with this threat looming and regular patrol, we're going to need all hands-on deck."

"Nice of the Joker to wait until _after_ the alien invasion was over to escape," Karla muttered under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest. Her sarcastic remark was a weak attempt to hide her discomfort. She _hated_ patrolling in Gotham with a passion, and she was silently hoping that she wasn't included in the "all hands-on deck."

"Suit-up," Bruce finished. "And then meet in the BatCave for a more detailed briefing." Tim, Barbara, and Dick all turned to leave. Karla was about to join them when Jason's hand closed around her forearm, tightly. Surprised, Karla looked up at her friend. Jason stared down at her. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were wild.

"Jay?" She asked, concerned. She reached out and touched his cheek. "Everything alright?" His lips moved silently for a few seconds before he managed to speak.

"How –" Jason whispered. His voice was raspy. " _How_ is he still _alive?"_ Karla froze, staring at Jason in surprise. She wasn't really sure what he meant. Who was _he?_ His grip tightened on her arm, making her wince.

"Jason," Bruce's voice sounded as he walked over to the two teenagers. The man frowned, a little confused at what was happening. "Don't worry, I won't be letting you near the Joker, not on your own. There is nothing to be afraid –"

"I'm not _afraid,"_ Jason spat, dropping his hand from Karla's arm and spinning around to face his mentor. Bruce fell quiet, looking at his son in surprise. Jason's face was white, and his hands were shaking. "How could you let him _live?"_ Jason whispered, staring at Bruce.

Karla's heartbeat sped up as she realized what was happening. Jason had thought that Bruce had avenged his death by killing the Joker.

"Jason," Bruce began, his voice very quiet and calm. "We do not kill." Jason laughed, the sound short and sharp in the mostly empty entry hall.

"But he _does_! He. Killed. _Me_. How could you let him _live?"_ Jason repeated himself. He was speaking quietly, which was somehow worse than him screaming his anger. Bruce took a deep breath.

"Jason, you have to understand. Killing is not the way we do things – " Before he could defend his decision further, Jason was speaking again.

"This is fucking ridiculous!" Jason swore, his voice finally rising. "I _died_ ," Jason spat, whirling around. He slammed his fist onto the banister the staircase, and the wood groaned underneath the force of his blow. Jason squeezed his eyes shut as tears began to fill his eyes.

Somewhere deep inside of him, Jason was aware that he was overreacting, that to some extent Bruce's choice to stay to his rigid moral code wasn't surprising. But he couldn't reconcile that part of him with the emotions currently running through him.

"I knew you never cared about me," Jason whispered, his voice flat. "You were just afraid that if you left me alone I was going to turn out bad. After I died, how long did it take for you to find another Robin?" Jason sneered, tears running down his cheeks as he turned around to glare at Bruce, who stood in silent shock. "You don't fucking care about me."

"Jason," Karla said quietly. "I think you need to calm down." Jason scoffed, glaring at the girl.

"Oh, shut up," he snarled. He glared at Karla, his anger twisting, morphing. "Why didn't you kill Joker?" He muttered, shaking his head in disgust. "It's all you're good for, anyways." Karla flinched, her eyes widening with hurt at Jason's statement.

"Jason," Bruce spoke again. He was clearly shaken at his son's paroxysm, but his normal calm façade prevailed as he spoke to the irate boy. "We can – we _will_ talk about this later. Right now, Gotham needs me." Jason sneered, turning away and storming up the stairs. Bruce's eyes fell on Karla, who was standing silently, her face pale. But when he looked at her, she lifted her chin.

"I'll take care of it," she assured Bruce. The man stepped forward, placing a hand on Karla's shoulder.

"Thank you."

* * *

Karla hesitated outside Jason's door, wondering whether she should knock or just go in. She'd followed him upstairs immediately after he'd stormed off, and he'd told her - _screamed_ at her - to go away. Now she'd left him to cool off for nearly a half an hour, and she thought it was time she intervened.

"Jason?" she called, knocking on his door. She was met with silence, and she sighed, knocking more insistently. "Jason, I'm coming in, okay?" Again, she received no answer. Karla twisted the doorknob and was unsurprised when she found it locked. Bending down, Karla quickly picked the lock and then shoved the door open. "Jason?"

Karla was surprised when she wasn't met with her angry friend immediately. In fact, she wasn't met with him at all. Frowning, Karla looked around the room. Her heart began to race as she realized what had happened.

"Shit." Casting her eyes around the room, Karla swore again when she realized that Jason had taken his suit, and also left his window opened when he'd clearly escaped to –

To what? To track down the Joker again?

"Fuck that," Karla said out loud. She whirled around, opening her mouth to call for Alfred. As she turned, however, she realized that the elderly butler was already behind her.

"Miss Karla," he greeted her, raising an eyebrow in disapproval. "Might I ask about the reason behind your strong language?" Karla couldn't even manage a quick, sheepish smile before she began to fill in Alfred on what had happened. She was too stressed out to apologize for her cursing.

"Alfred, Jason is gone. He must have snuck out to track down the Joker himself." Alfred's eyes widened, realizing what that meant immediately. "We all know how that went last time," Karla added with a heavy sigh. She raised her finger to the comm. in her ear, ready to report to Batman. When she pressed the radio, however, all the received was static. "Dammit!" she muttered again, growling in frustration.

Despite his anger, Jason was smart. He must have jammed the radio signals in the vicinity to stop Karla from calling for help. Which left her only one choice. Raising her head, Karla looked at Alfred.

"I'm going after him," she announced, already heading down the stairs and to the BatCave, where she stashed her spare suit and weapons. "Alfred, please keep trying to reach anyone on the field and tell them what's going on." Alfred nodded, following the girl down the stairs.

"Of course, Miss Karla." Alfred hesitated, watching the girl open the grandfather clock that descended into the BatCave. "And – please be careful," he called out after her. Karla turned back briefly to nod at Alfred.

As he watched the door slide shut behind her, Alfred swallowed hard. He thought about how she had looked back at him, her eyes shining. He couldn't quite tell if it had been with determination, or with fear.

* * *

Crouching on the rooftop of a warehouse, Jason's hands flew over the keyboard projected from his wrist. He was busy hacking into the police scanners that had led him to this position – where they thought the Joker was.

Jason looked at the screen in front of him. The blips moving towards his position were squad cars. Jason knew that having the police there would complicate things, just as having any of his friends there would. He'd already hacked into the comm. links so that none of them could communicate with each other, which was risky. He had no idea how long it would take them to notice.

But he knew he didn't need the police coming too soon and ruining Jason's mission. With a few quick strokes of keys, Jason had hacked into the scanners and was beginning to re-route the police's trajectory. He typed in a random destination all the way across town, smirking when he saw the blips take the first wrong turn.

Standing up, Jason walked to the edge of the roof and leapt off, using his grappling hook to gently lower himself to the ground. He pulled out his gun, pulling out the magazine to make sure it was fully loaded.

Jason cocked his gun, raising it as he walked in to the abandoned warehouse. He felt oddly calm as he walked in to the building, even knowing that backup wouldn't be coming. He knew he needed to do this on his own – all the others would do is try and stop him.

Right now, Jason wanted _revenge_.

As he walked through the doors, his heart was pumping, making his blood sing from inside his veins. But the pounding of his heart wasn't from fear. For the first time since Jason had been resurrected, he felt calm. He felt at peace.

 _This_ was what he'd been waiting for. _This_ was what the urgency singing in his veins had been urging him to do since day one.

Straining his ears for any creak or cackle, Jason began to move through the abandoned building. He was mildly surprised that the Joker had chosen this place to hide out. It seemed so… _tame._ Who could he hurt out here?

Jason's question was answered as he moved deeper into the building. There was a group of hostages in the middle of an empty room: by the looks of it, it was a family. A man had his arms wrapped around his wife, who was cradling a small girl. The man raised his head when he heard Jason's footsteps, his eyes wild with fear. When his gaze fell on Jason, his shoulders slumped with relief.

"Help us," he whispered, tears streaking down his face. His wrists and ankles were bound, as were the rest of his families. The little girl whimpered, pressing closer into her mother's embrace. Jason stood there, momentarily stumped.

Everything in him was telling him to move on and find the Joker. Everything except that little voice – Bruce's voice – that was telling him to help this family and call for backup.

Before Jason could his decision, he found it being made for him.

"Oh, he can't help you," the Joker giggled from behind Jason. "He'll be dead, too." The woman sobbed, turning and burying her face in her husband's neck. Jason saw her grip tighten on the child, and the man wrapped his arms around his wife. His hands were shaking.

"Joker," Jason growled, turning around slowly. He faced the clown, fresh rage pouring into him. Fire burned through his veins, and he raised his gun, firing at the Joker twice.

The villain dodged the shots, ducking behind a large pile of crates for cover. He cackled again, the laugh echoing throughout the empty warehouse. Jason growled in response, stalking after the Joker. The woman cried out after him, begging for help, but Jason ignored her.

He was here for one reason only.

"I'm up here~" a voice sang. Jason looked up, his face contorting into a sneer as he glared at the man responsible for taking his life. The Joker cackled loudly, staring down at Jason from the catwalks.

Jason pulled out his grappling hook, shooting a line up to the catwalks and landing just across from the Joker. Shoulders shaking with poorly concealed rage, Jason faced his killer. The Joker cackled again, clearly enjoying the encounter.

"Do you remember me?" Jason hissed, stalking forward. The Joker stepped back. He didn't seem scared: the insane smile on his face suggested he was merely toying with Jason.

"You're clearly one of Batman's _brats_ ," the Joker scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. Jason's hand tightened around his gun. "But there's so many of you, I can't seem to keep track." Jason growled, cocking his gun and pointing it at the Joker again. He wasn't sure what kept him from just shooting the villain, but something inside him insisted that he make his identity know.

"You _know_ me," Jason snapped. The Joker paused, tilting his head to the side. After a moment, a knowing smile spread across his face. He threw his head back, cackling loudly with delight.

"Well, well, well," the Joker said, his laughs dissolving into giggles that made his shoulders shake. "This is certainly interesting. There I was thinking you were _dead."_ Jason smirked.

"Surprise, surprise," he responded hoarsely. The hand that wasn't holding the gun was shaking. The Joker sighed.

"In a way that is a pity," he admitted, placing his hands on his hips. A slow smile spread across the Joker's face, replacing the pout. "Then again…killing you was so fun the first time around. I can only imagine what the sequel will be like."

Jason's vision went red with rage, and blood rushed to his ears, drowning out the Joker's words. Screaming his anger to the world, Jason rushed forward. Cackling manically, the Joker dodged Jason's tackle, letting the teenager go sprawling face-first onto the metal walkway.

"How agile," the Joker remarked, giggling to himself. Jason shoved himself to his feet, his jaw clenched with rage. He started forwards again and the Joker held up a hand. "Oh, no, no, no. As _fun_ as I think this will be, you don't have the time to play, bird-brain." The Joker brandished a trigger, smirking. "There are explosives in those crates. With the push of this button they go ka-boom, and it won't be long until that lovely little family down there is no more."

The Joker tossed the trigger through the air playfully, snatching it before it could hit the ground. He laughed, toying with the small metal button and smirking at Jason.

"Well, bird-brain? You can make a choice: save the civilians or kill me." The Joker smirked. "What will it be?" Jason raised his gun and pointed it at the Joker's chest.

"What do you think?" he asked.

If possible, the smile on the Joker's face grew even wider. He clearly hadn't expected a Bat to ignore the lives of hostages hanging in the balance. He giggled.

"Well," the clown said. "This _did_ just get much more interesting."

And the Joker slammed his finger down on the button.

* * *

Raptor could say a lot of bad things about the Court of Owls, to say the least. One thing she _couldn't_ say, however, was that they hadn't taught her how to track someone. It hadn't taken her long to pick up Jason's trail – which, admittedly, she didn't think he'd been trying to hide.

Jason's path had led Raptor to an abandoned warehouse on the edge of town. By the time she arrived there, there were no police, and there was no sign of any backup coming from her friends. The comm. links _still_ weren't working; she was on her own.

Raptor ran towards the building, her heart pounding when she realized that it was smoking from the inside. Someone - and she could guess who that _someone_ was - had started a fire. Rushing through the doors, the first sound Raptor heard was someone screaming for help.

She ran to the center of the room, her heart pounding when she spotted a family in the center of the floor. Flames licked the crates stacked around them, and Raptor felt a rush of relief that she'd arrived when she had. A couple more minutes and this family would have been dead.

Still, as Raptor started forward she couldn't help but be concerned. The building was already going up in flames around her, and it was _huge._ There was no way to tell if she would find _Jason_ , let alone any other hostages. She bent down, pulling out one of her small daggers and cutting through the ties that were holding the family in their place.

"Are there others?" She asked urgently. The woman shook her head and Raptor sighed in relief. "Get out of here," she said, cutting off the breathless gratitude of the hostages. "Find the police."

"Thank you," the man said shakily as he and his wife rose to their feet. "Thank you so much." Raptor nodded, already turning to find Jason. She glanced back over her shoulder to make sure the hostages made it out safely, but as soon as they were outside and out of her sight, she was off and running.

Raptor followed the sounds of struggle, realizing quickly they were coming from above her head. She shot her grappling gauntlet up, pulling herself onto the catwalk circuit above the warehouse. The walkway creaked dangerously underneath her feet when she landed. Raptor gritted her teeth, looking nervously at the cables that suspended the catwalk from the ceiling. Some of them had been cut, likely destroyed by whatever had started the fire.

Ignoring the precarious sway of the catwalk, Raptor ran forwards, leaping over a small hole in the metal grate and landing just behind her friend. Jason froze, turning around to face her slowly. The Joker was on the ground in front of Jason, his face bloody and bruised. Still, the clown was giggling.

Raptor's stomach turned over when she saw the gun in Jason's hand. She realized suddenly that he was here to kill the Joker, not just bring him to justice. Stepping forward, Raptor flipped over Jason's head, planting herself in between the Joker and her friend.

Unsheathing one of her longer daggers, Raptor pivoted so that she was sideways. She held the blade out towards the Joker, deterring him from coming any closer towards her. The catwalk groaned beneath her feet, the combined weight of three people straining the breaking cables.

"Raptor," Jason growled, glaring at his best friend. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to stop you from making a mistake," Raptor responded. Smoke was filling the room quickly, and the swirling soot made it hard to see Jason's face. Jason laughed bitterly.

"Move," he told her. Raptor shook her head, and Jason scowled harder. He cocked his gun, raising it and pointing it at his friend. Raptor froze. "I said, _move."_

"Jason," Raptor cautioned, balancing on the catwalk precariously. She took a deep breath, struggling to come to terms with this insane sitation. She was in between Jason and the Joker, holding a blade out at the villain as she tried to reason with her best friend, who was pointing a gun at her head.

"Move _out_ of the way," Jason warned her through clenched teeth.

"Don't do this," she begged him, holding a hand up imploringly. She wondered, faintly, if Jason would actually shoot her. "Listen to me –"

"I won't ask again." Raptor's lips thinned. She didn't want to fight Jason. But he wasn't giving her much of a choice. She took a deep breath, ready to try another method when the Joker interrupted.

"Seems there's a little lover's spat," the Joker cooed in a faux-concerned manner. "Shall I call a therapist?" Jason screamed in rage. He charged forward, catching Raptor around the waist and throwing her against the metal of the catwalk to get past her. The heroine gasped as all the air was forced out of her lungs.

She coughed, the smoke making it even harder to get her breath back. Scrambling to her feet as fast as she could, she saw Jason on top of the Joker, beating up across the face once more. As Raptor struggled to get her balance she realized with a jolt of horror that Jason didn't seem to plan to shoot the Joker – he wanted to beat him to death.

The way the Joker had done to him.

Raptor stumbled forward, the metal catwalk lurching underneath her feet dangerously. She grabbed on to Jason's arm, straining to hold the stronger boy back. He whirled around, clambering off the Joker and decking her in the face.

Pain shot through her head as she caught Jason's punch on her right cheekbone. The blow smarted, and her head spun at the force of his hit. Clenching her teeth, Raptor pivoted, dodging another one of Jason's hits.

Raptor was a more experienced fighter than Jason, but she was holding back. He wasn't. He grabbed her behind the neck, holding her in place and bringing his knee up into her solar plexus. She gasped at the impact and he shoved her backwards, sending her sprawling across the hot metal of the catwalk once more.

Grunting, Raptor rolled into the impact, somersaulting over and landing in a crouch. She sprang to her feet again, facing Jason with her chin up. Jason's chest was heaving as he stared at her.

She anticipated his next charge forwards. Refusing to meet him head-on in a physical fight, Raptor grabbed onto Jason's shoulders, flipping over his head and landing behind him. Jason turned to face her again, his face so contorted with rage she nearly couldn't recognize him.

Once again, Raptor found herself trapped between the Joker and Jason. The smoke was swirling through the air, so thick that it hurt to breath. Even with the mask over her face, her eyes were stinging and watering. Sweat matted her long braid, tiny hair sticking to the back of her neck as she gasped for breath.

Even if the three of them didn't die in this fight, they would die in the ensuing explosion of the building. Their minutes were ticking by, too fast.

"I need to end this," she muttered to herself.

"This only ends one way," Jason replied, overhearing her. "With the clown dead." He glared at his best friend. "So you have three options: help me, get out of my way, or I'll _make_ you get out of my way." Raptor shook her head, trying to think. Before she could decide on a plan, a searing pain pierced through her side.

Crying out, Raptor glanced down. Sticking out of her ribcage was a small knife. Raptor's vision swam with pain as she whirled around to face the laughing villain behind her. She'd spent so much of her energy trying to keep Jason away from the Joker that she'd nearly forgotten that the Joker was dangerous too. With a grunt, she yanked out the small knife and tossed it to the side. The bloody weapon landed on the metal catwalk with a clang.

Raising her fist, Raptor shot her grappling hook at the Joker. The hook caught onto his jacket, and Raptor made a fist, yanking towards her as hard as she could. The Joker face planted, his head cracking against the metal of the walkway with a satisfying _bang_.

Raptor grunted as Jason collided into her back. She planted her feet, rolling her shoulders back and shoving as hard as she could. His weight left her back as he stumbled backwards. Pressing a hand to her side that was still seeping blood, she turned around.

"Don't make me do this," Raptor muttered. Jason pressed forward again, his lips curled into a sneer, and Raptor sighed. "Fine." She pulled her left fist back – the hand that had her heavy metal gauntlet on it – and launched a powerful punch to Jason's face.

Her hit was hard, and the force combined with the hard metal of her gauntlet was enough to send Jason stumbling backwards. He fell to the ground, swearing as blood poured from his nose down his face. The momentary distraction was enough, and Raptor whirled around.

She reached into her utility belt, pulling out a grappling wire. She stuck the it to the center of the Joker's back, winding the cord around him several times. She pinned his arms to his sides, yanking hard so that he couldn't escape from his bounds.

As fast as she was working, the Joker still managed to get his feet up underneath him, and he struggled upwards. Raptor saw him reach into his pocket with some difficulty, and he pulled out another switchblade.

Grunting, Raptor kicked the Joker in the hand. He yelped, dropping the weapon. Kicking it out of his reach, Raptor stepped forward. She punched the Joker hard in the center of his chest, and he fell off the metal walkway.

He'd only fallen a few yards when Raptor tossed the other end of the cord upwards. It embedded itself in the ceiling, and the line went taut, stopping the Joker's descent short and yanking him upwards slightly, so that he was hogtied with the tips of his toes just brushing the ground.

Raptor turned around, breathing hard. Jason was on the ground behind her, still stunned from her blow. He spat out a mouthful of blood, glaring at Raptor balefully. She watched him, hoping that he'd give up.

No such luck. Jason got to his feet, reaching into his pocket to pull out a birdarang. Raptor groaned, her shoulders slumping in resignation.

"This is gonna hurt when you wake up," she hissed, unsheathing her dagger. Without another word, she stepped forward and slammed the butt of her sword into Jason's temple. Jason's legs crumpled beneath him and he fell forwards. Raptor managed to catch him before he hit the ground, but his heavy weight made her vision swim with pain as it strained her injuries.

Grunting with effort, Raptor managed to hold Jason up enough to not drop him as she lowered them both to the ground.

"Well, I _do_ feel like a piñata," the Joker said, smiling manically at Raptor as she landed next to him. She dropped Jason to the ground by her side.

"Well," Raptor said, struggling to catch her breath enough to speak in the smoke-filled room. "I'm not gonna bust you open, but…" she pulled her fist back, punching him in the face. The Joker's head snapped back, hitting the rope behind his head before he fell forward again, unconscious. "But I will beat you up and cut you down."

Raptor looked around, exhausted. She knew she had to get out of the warehouse, quickly. She had absolutely no idea what the stacks of crates were full of – they could be perfectly harmless, but more likely they were more explosives ready to blow as soon as the fire reached them.

Either way, she wasn't in the mood to stick around and find out.

Leaving the Joker strung up from the ceiling for the time being, Raptor bent down and began to haul Jason's limp body towards the doors. She didn't necessarily want the Joker to die, but when given the choice between saving her friend or saving the insane clown, she was going to choose her friend.

Raptor stumbled out of the warehouse, dragging Jason's prone body a safe distance away. As soon as she'd dropped him to the ground and checked his breathing, she was racing back inside.

Weaving her way around the burning crates, Raptor made it back where the Joker hung. She was breathing shallowly, trying to avoid taking in any more smoke. She coughed weakly, her chest burning from the lack of fresh air. Her vision was going blurry, but she managed to unsheathe one of her longer daggers. With one clean cut, she sliced through the taut cord that strung the Joker up.

Her lungs were burning, begging her to inhale deeply. But she knew that breathing in the smoke would only make it worse. Trying hard not to take any deep breaths, Raptor grabbed onto the cord that the Joker was tied up in and began to drag him across the floor.

By the time she managed to pull the villain outside, the first responders were arriving on the scene. Raptor dropped the Joker to the ground a safe distance away. She coughed violently, her chest aching. Behind her, she could hear the unmistakable sound of glass shattering as the building exploded.

 _Talk about a close call._

As the police ran up, Raptor fell to her hands and knees. She was dizzy with exhaustion, and she was faintly aware that parts of her suit were smoldering and the skin beneath was searing with pain.

A police officer knelt beside her. She was asking Raptor questions, but somehow, Raptor couldn't comprehend her words. The woman's face seemed to be fading in and out of focus as well.

Maybe she just needed a nap. Raptor swayed on her knees, noting with interest that the ground was getting a lot closer to her face. Yeah, a nap sounded really nice…

* * *

The Batmobile screeched to a halt, and Batman leapt out of the vehicle in a fluid movement. The vigilante looked around. The warehouse was in shambles, still smoking from the fire the Joker had set. Fire trucks, ambulances and police cars crowded the scene, and the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles split the smoky air.

He ran up to the scene where police officers and EMTs were still gathered. Commissioner Gordon was speaking to one of his officers, but he broke away from the conversation when he saw Batman approaching.

"What happened?" Batman asked, sweeping his eyes across the scene. His jaw was clenched as he spoke.

"Three hostages, shaken but uninjured," the Commissioner reported. "Two of your little friends got involved: they apprehended the Joker, but not without some difficulty." Batman frowned. Surely Robin, Batgirl, or Nightwing would have called for backup. Even if whichever two of them handled it could do it own their own, they knew they were supposed to let Batman know.

Then Batman's eyes fell on Jason, and a flash of understanding went through him. It was immediately followed by anger and fear, and he closed his eyes beneath his cowl. Jason had tracked the Joker down on his own, and someone had followed him.

Batman looked past Jason, who was conscious. He was sitting on the edge of an ambulance, his head hanging. Behind him, Raptor was on a stretcher, surrounded by a few EMTs.

"Something odd happened," Commissioner Gordon continued, unaware of Batman's inner turmoil. "Our police scanners had tracked the Joker here originally, but they got scrambled en route and led us to a high school across town." The Commissioner shook his head, looking ashamed. "I'm sorry."

"Something tells me it wasn't your fault," Batman replied darkly, thinking about how his comm. links had suddenly shut down earlier that night. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Jason had done. Commissioner Gordon frowned at Batman's cryptic words. "Excuse me," Batman added. He strode over to his foster son. Jason raised his head as Batman approached. His shoulders slumped, and Batman assessed his injures quickly.

He didn't seem to be gravely injured. His nose was a little swollen and there were still tracks of blood down his face. One of his lips was split, and there was a nasty bruise blooming at his temple. He stood when Batman approached him, though, so it was clear that he was mostly fine.

"In the car," Batman ordered, his voice steely calm.

"Batman –"

"In the car," he repeated, walking past Jason. He looked at the EMTs, who were loading Raptor into an ambulance. They had strapped an oxygen mask over her face. He raised a hand. "Where are you taking her?"

"To the hospital," one of the EMTs responded, sounding irritated. "She needs to be treated for smoke inhalation and burns – not to mention a stab wound in her right ribcage." Batman's jaw clenched. He glanced towards the sky, wondering how long Karla could be in Gotham for before the Court found her.

"Fine," he acquiesced. Batman looked at the teenage girl, frowning. She had bruises and cuts across her face, and despite the mask over her eyes he could tell that she was unconscious. "Leave her mask on," he added, turning to leave. He walked back over to Commissioner Gordon. "Do you need anything else?" The Commissioner looked around.

"I think we're okay," he assured the other man. He glanced over to the police car, where the Joker was being strapped into a straightjacket and loaded into the back of a heavily guarded van. "Is the girl okay?"

"Raptor will be fine," Batman responded, looking over at the Batmobile. Jason was sitting in the passenger's seat, his head hanging. "Thank you, Commissioner." Batman strode over to the vehicle, sliding in and peeling away from the crime scene.

The Batmobile was onto main streets within a half a minute, and the suburbs of Gotham began to fade as Batman drove down the empty streets. Jason licked his lips, tasting the blood that he'd yet to clean from his face. He closed his eyes, trying to forget the clear images of himself punching Karla with all his strength, of him aiming a gun at her head, of the urge _to shoot her so she would just move._

"Is Karla okay?" Jason asked, not opening his eyes or raising his head. Batman raised his hand, reaching up to pull his cowl away from his face.

"She'll be fine," Bruce repeated the sentiment he'd just uttered to Commissioner Gordon. This time, his voice was less gruff, more reassuring. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and took a deep breath, struggling to control himself from launching into a lecture.

Jason was silent for a moment. Then he spoke: "Bruce, I –"

"Quiet," Bruce ordered Jason, his control breaking. The teenager fell silent, his head hanging. "What were you thinking?" he asked his son quietly, torn between anger, disappointment, and fear. "Raptor almost died. What if Robin or Batgirl had needed help and couldn't call for it because you shut down comms.? You could have gotten those hostages killed. _You could have died. Again."_ Jason's hands curled into fists on his lap.

"I know," he whispered, closing his eyes again. Guilt welled up in his stomach, but the shame wasn't enough to erase the memory of the pure joy that had filled him when he'd been tracking the Joker. He felt the need to defend himself. "But I –"

"There is no _but!"_ Bruce nearly shouted, glaring at Jason in the rearview mirror. "You acted foolishly: you hacked into police system, you endangered yourself and others, you almost killed someone tonight. Do I need to go on?" Jason suddenly stilled, raising his head slowly as he registered Bruce's words.

" _Someone?"_ Jason repeated. His voice was suddenly very quiet and level. He made a noise, his lip curling in disgust as he shook his head. "That wasn't just _someone,_ Bruce. That was an insane _murderer_ , a villain! The world would be a better place without him in it."

Bruce's eyes hardened, and his hands clenched around the steering wheel. The leather squeaked underneath his grip.

"That is not how we do things," Bruce said quietly. "I shouldn't even have to remind you; you know that, Jason! You are _better_ than this – better than becoming a murder, better than breaking the law!" Jason laughed bitterly.

"The _law?_ Is that what this is about? _"_ He made a noise of disgust, shaking his head in disbelief. "Jesus Christ, Bruce."

"That is _not_ what this is about," Bruce replied. He couldn't believe that Jason was so blind to all the mistakes he'd made tonight, all the awful possibilities of what could have happened. He couldn't believe what had happened to his son. "Tonight could have been much, much worse. _That_ is what this is about. You know that." Jason laughed.

"Do I?"

"Enough," Bruce said. "We are done talking about this and you are _done_ on patrol for the unforeseeable future."

Jason shook his head again, but he didn't respond. Bruce didn't take his eyes off of the road, but if he had seen the ugly sneer contorting Jason's face, he would have been concerned.

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY  
July 21, 23:21 EDT**

It was after-hours when Jason snuck into Gotham General.

It had been three days since he'd taken on the Joker again. Three days since Raptor had followed him and single-handedly apprehended the Joker and either saved Jason's life or his humanity.

According to everyone else, that is. Jason personally felt no regret of his actions that night. He didn't feel ashamed of his intent to kill the Joker, and he didn't feel guilty that he didn't feel ashamed.

But he did feel guilty of hurting his best friend. Every time Jason closed his eyes, he saw his fist flying towards Raptor's face. He saw himself pointing a gun at Raptor's head. He saw himself standing motionless as the Joker plunged a knife into her ribcage. And he remembered his bitter, angry words from earlier that night.

 _Why didn't you kill Joker? It's all you're good for, anyways._

Jason swallowed hard, self-revulsion curling in his stomach. He shook his head, focusing on creeping through the darkened hallway of the hospital. He knew where Raptor's room was but making it there unseen was difficult.

Every time a nurse passed by on their nightly rounds, Jason had to duck behind a corner to avoid being seen. He kept his head down, not wanting any cameras to see his face, although he doubted anyone could check them that carefully.

It was just Bruce's ingrained paranoia that kept Jason from showing his face. Anything to not tip anyone off to their secret identities, right?

Scoffing to himself and rolling his eyes, Jason walked towards the hospital room. His argument with Bruce from a few nights ago hadn't been patched up. If anything, it was worse. They'd only spoken four times in the past three days: three of those conversations had been terse, three minutes at most. The last one had ended in another screaming match.

Shaking those thoughts away, Jason slid into Raptor's hospital room. He took a deep breath, looking at her friend guiltily. She was laying still on the bed. The worst of her cuts and burns had been cleaned and bandaged, and her arms rested gently on the stark white sheet of the bed. Her mask was still on, but she didn't turn her head when he came in, and the gentle rise and fall of her chest suggested that she was still asleep.

That was for the better, anyways. Jason wasn't sure he could truly face her.

Jason swallowed hard, walking up to the girl's bedside. He sat on the foot of her bed. To his surprise – and relief – she didn't so much as stir. Whatever they'd drugged her with had dulled her sharp, paranoid senses.

"I'm sorry," Jason whispered to her, knowing that she couldn't hear him. His eyes fell on the purplely-yellow bruise on her cheekbone and he winced. He was the cause of that bruise.

Directly, he was the cause of some of her injuries. Indirectly, he was the cause of all of them – she'd almost died. Taking a deep breath, Jason shook his head. She was still alive, and that's what mattered.

 _Still your fault,_ a little voice chimed in his head. Jason grit his teeth, ignoring the sing-song taunt.

"I'm so sorry," he said again. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the cell-phone he'd purchased just before coming to see Raptor. He lifted one of her hands and wrapped her fingers around the cell phone so that she was gripping it tightly.

Jason closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, stealing himself. He bent over, pressing a very brief kiss to her forehead. As he walked away, Jason turned back to make sure the phone was safely gripped in her hand. He'd already called the phone and left a voicemail. She'd see it – and hopefully listen to it – when she woke up.

 _Karla –_

 _If you're hearing this, then I know you're feeling better. I wish I could tell you this in person, but I can't. I won't be here._

 _I am so sorry for what happened. I never wanted to hurt you. I'm sorry for what I said that night, and I'm sorry for what I did. I would understand if you blamed me, but I know you won't. That doesn't change the fact that it was my fault._

 _But if that night taught me something, it's that I can't be here anymore. I have to go away. I have to take care of things my way. And I can't do that in Gotham. I can't do that with Bruce over my shoulder._

 _I don't think you'll understand, because even I don't. All I know is that I have to go away. If you need anything, call me back on this number. I promise I'll respond._

 _But please don't try to find me. I need to do this – whatever_ this _is – alone._

 _I love you._

* * *

 **yeah, i couldn't resist having jason throw in that "i love you."**

 **a little something for those of you who seem to ship jason and karla...could be best friend love, could be romantic love. do with it what you will ;)**

 **also i apologize for my inability to write the joker's personality and fight scenes. \\_(..)_/ lo siento.**

 **please please please leave a review, let me know what you think! i'd love to hear some feedback on my writing, my story, my character...anything. even a few words make my day, so please leave a review! i promise i don't bite :)**

 **thanks for reading!**


	19. Betrayal

**Holy buttcheeks it's been a while. I am so sorry. This chapter was seriously a butt to write, to the point where I almost gave up on it several times. But I've had this idea for so long that I just wasn't ready to let go of it and...I don't know. It may** **be terrible, but it is EXTREMELY important to Karla's character.** **I'm not a hundred percent happy with the turn out, but I hope it's at least semi-enjoyable!**

 **To KingPenguinJG: Thank you! Yeah, I'm going to have to figure out how to handle some things in season 3, but...I have a few ideas.**

 **To BrazioRios: I missed you too! And yes, the Court of Owls is still ~technically~ looking for Karla in the sense that they aren't thrilled about losing a powerful asset such as her Talon was, but she's also just a paranoid little bean.**

 **To Natalie: Aw, I'm sorry you cried! And here is your update (I'm uh...sorry it took so long!)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice, just Karla.**

 **WARNING: this chapter is more violent than most. discretion is advised.**

* * *

 **BLÜDHAVEN**

 **August 1, 13:28 EDT**

"… _But please don't try to find me. I need to do this – whatever_ this _is – alone."_ Karla closed her eyes. _"I love you."_ She took a deep breath, feeling raw and ragged around the edges of her heart. She was listening to the message Jason had left her for the hundredth time. Swallowing hard, she hit replay again. She just wanted to hear his voice again.

Yeah, it was kind of pathetic, but she couldn't help it. She missed him. She missed him _so much._ She was angry that he'd just left her, with this shitty excuse of a good-bye. And he was completely off the radar. Despite what he'd asked of her, to let him be, she and Bruce and the others had been searching for Jason high and low since last week. Still, they'd found no trace of him.

Jason knew how to hide.

Karla heard the door to the apartment open, but she didn't register it until someone knocked on the door to her room. Lowering the phone from her ear, Karla sat up on her bed as Jaime opened the door to her room. She smiled when she saw him, and he walked over to her. He sat down next to her on the bed, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his chest. Karla relaxed into his touch.

"I'm sorry," he told her quietly, kissing her hair as she leaned into him. "I'm glad you're okay." Karla smiled, turning her head to press her face against his chest. He kissed her forehead again, his hands stroking her back gently.

"Thank you," she said finally, her voice hoarse. Her throat was still scratchy from inhaling smoke, and she coughed slightly, turning away to cover her mouth. Jaime hummed, stroking her hair gently.

"How do you feel?" he asked her carefully, his eyes wary. He didn't want to push Karla if she didn't want to talk, but he was worried. She sat up slowly, readjusting herself so she was sitting across from Jaime, their knees pressed together. She reached for the strings of his hoodie, toying with them as she mulled his question over.

"I'm healing up fine," she said finally, her blue eyes distant. Jaime arched an eyebrow. The way she'd sidestepped his question hadn't gone unnoticed.

"I'm glad to hear it, but that's not really what I meant," he responded, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. Her braid was loose and mussed from lying down on her bed. " _Dime. La verdad."_ Karla shook her head slightly, leaning in towards Jaime again.

"I miss him," she whispered, pressing her lips against her boyfriend's neck. She sighed heavily, closing her eyes. "I wish he hadn't left." Jaime hummed, pressing his back against the wall as he held Karla close to him. He pressed his lips together, glancing down at the girl in his arms.

She wasn't crying, and to most people she wouldn't even appear outwardly sad. Karla habitually wore a mask. He didn't think she could help it.

But Jaime knew her. And he could tell from the dullness of her eyes and the heavy way she leaned against him that she was hurting badly from Jason's departure.

Normally, Jaime had to admit, he wouldn't be thrilled to see Karla being so upset over a guy. She'd never talked about Jason much with him, and he'd only learned through Tim how close the two of them were. But given the circumstance, Jaime felt like being jealous would make him a total dick, so he kept his thoughts to himself.

"Thank you," Karla mumbled suddenly. Jaime started, panicking. He wondered if he'd been thinking out loud.

"For what?" he asked nervously. Karla pulled back, smiling at him. She touched the edge of his face gently, kissing him quickly before responding.

"Always being here for me."

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

 **August 4, 20:47 EDT**

"Ready, Karla?" Dick knocked on his sister's door.

"Gimme a sec," she called back. There were some mild scuffling sounds from inside the room, and then she yanked the door open. Dick stepped back, looking at his sister. She was dressed for the undercover mission: that is to say, in dress clothes. She was wearing a long-sleeved black dress with a boat-cut off-the-shoulder neckline, black wedges, and a black scowl. Dick sighed.

"You're going to have to wipe that look of your face," he told her. She glared at him, her blue eyes looking brighter and bigger than normal due to the eyeliner and mascara she'd put on. Normally, Karla didn't wear makeup.

"Lemme grab a makeup towel," she muttered sarcastically. Dick rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Karly," he said with another sigh. "No one else is in a party mood, either. Just play the part, okay?" She hummed, shrugging in resigned agreement as she ducked back into her room to grab her clutch.

She patted her waist carefully, making sure her utility belt was concealed without any suspicious lumps. Dick handed her a radio comm., and she pressed it into her ear, adjusting her hair slightly to mostly conceal it from view.

Karla hadn't originally been planning on joining in on this mission, but it required five people, originally planned with Jason in mind. After he had left, disappearing without a trace, Karla had offered to fill in. Granted, given the fact it was in Gotham, she hadn't been particularly enthusiastic. But they'd needed her, and who was she to argue.

Besides, Karla's fear of the city _had_ diminished slightly. She'd woken up in a Gotham City hospital room after spending over twenty-four hours in the city, and no Talons had found her. She could hope that maybe, just maybe, they'd stopped looking.

To be honest, she had no evidence that they'd ever _started_ looking, but cold terror and paranoia had driven her to believe it to be true. When she'd first escape, Bruce and Dick and - _Jason_ \- had all attempted to assure her that the Court wasn't looking for her, but she hadn't believed them then.

She wasn't quite sure if she believed it even now. It seemed too good to be true.

But still, the mission was an important one, which was why she'd resigned herself to it. It was reconnaissance only, an attempt to gather information. A few days earlier, Batman had intercepted a transmission that seemingly ordered a mark on a candidate for Gotham City Mayor, a man named Lincoln March.

March shared similar views to Bruce in terms of restoring and revitalizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne had publicly backed the man's run for mayor. The death threat to March was unexpected, seemingly random – March's views were mostly uncontroversial – but Bruce had taken it upon himself to scout out the threat – and intervene if necessary.

Truth be told, Karla had no idea who Lincoln March was. She didn't live in Gotham City, for one thing, and she barely knew the names of the politicians in Blüdhaven. One of the side effects of having been a Talon was her trivialization of important things.

Growing up, the only reason Karla had needed to know the name of a politician was if she was going to kill them.

Shaking that thought off, Karla squared her shoulders and narrowed her eyes.

Thinking about the Court was the last thing she needed to be doing.

* * *

Raptor stood in a crowded room, a glass of sparkling water in her hand. She sipped from it every now and then, smiling politely as people passed her by. No one stopped to speak to her. She was dressed nicely enough to blend in, but was mostly unfamiliar. People cast her off as no one of importance, just a guest of one of the Gotham elites in the room.

Because of this, it was Raptor and Robin who accompanied Bruce into the gala. Dick Grayson was slightly more recognizable than she or Tim, and old enough to attract attention from business people, should they think he was a business man himself. Barbara Gordon wasn't necessarily a known face in Gotham, but people would no doubt be confused if they _did_ put together that she was police commissioner's daughter.

People hardly knew the name Karla Grayson – Bruce had been careful to keep things quiet when she had escaped from the Court, knowing that media attention would draw the Court straight back to her. And Tim was quiet and young enough that not many people would take an interest in him, and if they did, his association with Bruce Wayne was enough to explain his presence at the party.

Batgirl and Nightwing were in uniform around the perimeter, keeping an eye on things from above. Turning away from the scene in front of her, Raptor brushed a hand over her ear, subtlety pressing down on the comm. as she pretended to adjust her hair.

"Which one?" Raptor murmured out of the corner of her mouth, casting her eyes over the room. Bruce was there to play his part as Bruce Wayne. Robin was looking for the assassin, and Raptor had been tasked with finding and protecting Lincoln March.

 _"By the bar,"_ Nightwing replied promptly. " _Over six-feet, muscular build, dark hair."_ Raptor snorted. Her brother had just described about half the people in the room. The direction "by the bar" still left about six for her to choose from. Recognizing her reaction, Nightwing clarified. " _Third from the left."_ Raptor nodded, her eyes falling on the man.

"Yeah, I see him," she muttered. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the man. His back was to Raptor, so she couldn't see his face, but something was oddly familiar about his stance. Frowning, Raptor tilted her head, trying to place the man. Before she could, he turned away from the bar, still facing away from her. He walked briskly from the crowded room, out the door and down the hallway.

"He's leaving," she whispered, placing her glass down on a table and hastily following March. "Permission to make contact?"

" _Go,"_ Nightwing affirmed. " _Now's your chance – but keep things quiet. Keep him calm, don't make a scene."_ Raptor nodded, not bother to respond verbally. She knew that either Nightwing could see her, or that he would take her silence as agreement.

Raptor wove her way through the throngs of people, keeping her eyes focused on the back of March. She finally made her way out of the crowd and stepped out the side door after March.

He was standing at the end of the hallway alone, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared out the window at the Gotham skyline. Raptor frowned again. Once more, she found something familiar about his stance, the line of his posture. Shaking her head, she took a step forward, opening her mouth to speak.

"Lincoln March," she said, addressing him. "You are in danger. I'm here to help you." She expected him to either stiffen or to laugh. After all, her statement could either be taken as a thinly-veiled threat, or something that most grown men would find amusing. Raptor's voice after all, was young and feminine. Many misogynistic men that attended these galas would register this and find her offer of protection amusing. March did none of the above.

The man turned around slowly, and Raptor's breath caught. She took a step back, her heart rising to her throat as she stared at the man in front of her.

 _Impossible…_

"If it isn't my little owlet, all grown up," Lincoln March whispered, his eyes bright and sad. He looked at the girl, a small smile on his face.

" _Lincoln_ …" Raptor whispered, putting the pieces together.

Suddenly, she was five years old again, crying in the darkened hallways where the members of the Court had left her. She was cold and confused. She wanted her parents, but she remembered their broken, twisted bodies on the ground and knew that they weren't coming back. She wanted her brother, but she didn't know where he was. She didn't even know where _she_ was.

All she knew was that she'd been sitting on a bench in a grey building, waiting, when a blonde woman had come and taken Karla by the hand. She'd led her outside, all smiles and promises that she was going to see Dick soon. Then, they were in a car, and the woman was wearing a white mask with black slits for eyes. And then she'd been scared and she'd started to cry and then she wasn't sure what happened.

She remembered a young man, barely twenty years old, shushing her gently, comforting her. He had taken her in, helped train her – he had helped her _survive._ Under his instruction she had become one of the best Talons the Court had. And then, years later, he had disappeared on a mission, presumed dead and disgraced by the Court.

And yet here he was, standing in front of her, looking very much alive.

Lincoln March smiled at the girl in front of him. He stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He tipped her chin up so that she was looking him in the eye. She stared at him with wide blue eyes, suddenly looking very young.

"I'm sorry I was gone for so long," he told her quietly. "I'm glad you made it out of the Court." Raptor was numb, unable to move or speak or think as Lincoln spoke. "I had always hoped you and I would make it out together. Make something _better._ " There was a strange light in his eyes he spoke, a gleam that bordered on insanity. Raptor didn't notice.

"You, after all," Lincoln said quietly, brushing her cheek gently. "You always were my progeny."

"I – I," Raptor gasped, barely able to breathe. "I…" She closed her eyes, struggling to remain calm.

"What's your name?" Lincoln asked her. He'd never known it. He'd only ever told her his first name – honestly, a miracle he remembered even that. Karla didn't understand enough English to tell her his when he asked the first time they'd met, and by the time she'd learned the language she'd all but forgotten who she was. Raptor blinked slowly.

"Karla," she replied quietly. Lincoln smiled gently.

"Karla," he said, as if he'd known it all along. She had expected her name to sound out of place in his voice, but somehow, it was the most comforting sound she'd heard. "Karla, descendant of the Gray Son of Gotham. My progeny, my heir." He spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, like he was bestowing a title upon her.

Karla was dazed. She couldn't fully comprehend what was happening. She felt as though she were in some kind of dream – it wasn't as though she'd never imagined seeing Lincoln again. But in her fantasies, he was always free of any malice the Court had instilled in him, a steady part of Karla Grayson's life, as normal as Bruce or Alfred.

"Join me," Lincoln said quietly again, his eyes serious. "I have a plan." He stepped behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her to face the window. Karla's eyes fell on Gotham's skyline, and Lincoln spoke, drunk with power. "It can be _ours,_ owlet," he told her. "Not just this city, but the world." He squeezed her shoulders. "Join me."

Karla didn't answer. She couldn't.

Lincoln reached into his suit jacket, pulling out a small dagger. He pressed it into Karla's palm, his gaze burning into hers. "You know what to do." Karla blinked, her breath coming out in a short gasp. Footsteps sounded down the hallway, the sound echoing loudly in her brain.

"Rapt – Karla?" Robin asked hesitantly, catching sight of Lincoln March and amending his greeting to maintain their secret identities. But it didn't matter. Lincoln March chuckled slightly.

"You must be Robin," Lincoln said to the boy. Robin's eyes went wide, his shoulders going taught at the matter-of-fact tone of voice. The teenager's eyes fell on Karla, and he glared at Lincoln March.

"What did you do to her?" he growled. Anger flashed over Lincoln's eyes at the insinuation. Robin didn't know him, but he would never hurt Karla. He had practically raised her; she was the family he had never had.

"Nothing," he replied coldly. Lincoln glanced down at Karla. She looked up at him. She blinked once, slowly, and Lincoln nodded at her.

"You know what to do," he said again. Robin frowned at the ominous statement, stepping forward hesitantly. Karla still hadn't moved – he didn't believe for a second that Lincoln hadn't done something to her.

"Raptor!" Robin said again, sounding alarmed. He reached into his suit jacket, wrapping his fingers around a birdarang to throw at Lincoln if necessary. Before he could, the girl shook her head slowly. She frowned at the dagger in her hand.

"I – " she muttered, cutting herself off with a frown. Lincoln stared at her, and she closed her eyes, steeling herself. "I'm sorry," she muttered, her eyes locked on Lincoln's face.

Without another word, she whirled around, cutting off Robin's cry of surprise with a powerful hook to his face. The boy grunted, falling to the ground. He scrambled for the comm. in his ear as Karla approached him, her face twisted with pain.

"Robin to Batgirl!" he cried. "Requesting backup – something's wrong with Raptor. She's –" Robin's words were cut off as Karla grabbed the front of his suit. She could hear Batgirl's voice over the radio, sounding alarmed, but she ignored it. Without a word, she flicked the blade across his throat. Blood soaked the collar of Robin's white shirt as the boy struggled in her grip, his blue eyes wide with panic, surprise, and – fear.

He was only a boy, and he was scared as he died.

Karla swallowed hard, her stomach turning at the look on his face. She dropped him, throwing the body as far away from her as she could manage. She turned away, glancing at Lincoln with wide eyes as she took a shuddering breath. He stepped towards her, a sad smile on his face. He stroked her hair in a gentle, brotherly manner as he looked at the body on the ground before them.

"Good girl," he said. "I know it can be hard."

* * *

Batgirl frowned, pressing the comm. in her ear again. After Robin had radioed for help, sounding distressed, she'd immediately responded. But the boy hadn't answered, and when she'd called Raptor she hadn't received a response either.

"Batgirl to Raptor," she said again. "Report." She still received no response. Frowning, the tried something else. "Batgirl to Nightwing and Batman. Requesting backup – Robin and Raptor have gone silent."

Glancing back down at the tracking monitor and the symbols that represented Raptor and Robin, she ducked into the fifth story window of the building. It seemed that the two younger teenagers had followed Lincoln March out of the main ballroom where the gala was occurring and into a side hallway.

Straightening up, Batgirl looked around the long corridor. Her eyes went wide as she took in the scene. Raptor was kneeling by Robin's body, her head down. Robin's clothes were covered with blood, and he wasn't moving. Raptor's breath was coming in slow pants, her shoulders heaving, her head bowed. Batgirl's heart thudded.

"No…" she whispered, bending down beside the two teens. Swallowing hard, Batgirl removed one of her gloves, pressing two fingers to Robin's jugular, desperately hoping for a pulse. But there was nothing. His skin was cold.

Robin was dead.

"Robin!" Nightwing's distressed voice came from behind Batgirl, and she turned around. Nightwing and Batman were standing behind her, having just come through the window. Both men looked horrified.

"What happened?" Batman asked. His voice was even gruffer than usual as he swept past Batgirl to kneel by his son's body. "Raptor, who did this?" Raptor didn't answer immediately, her eyes still focused on the ground. Her shoulders heaved.

In all that had happened, Batgirl had all but forgotten the distress in Robin's call. She'd forgotten his warning "there's something wrong with Raptor." She, and all the others, were distracted by their friend's death.

And in their distraction, they failed to notice the trained assassin, who had been planning and waiting for this moment for years. Lincoln watched hungrily as the three Bats, usually so invulnerable, succumbed to the only thing that could distract them: the death of a family member. He watched Karla, pleased that she remained still and quiet, waiting for Lincoln's cue.

Lincoln March swept in from behind Nightwing, taking the younger man out so quietly that it was almost unnoticeable. But Nightwing made a slight noise, just enough for Batgirl to turn around. Batgirl's eyes stretched wide as she stood up, raising her arms to defend herself against the man she'd come here to protect.

"Batman –" Batgirl's warning was cut off by a hand around her throat, her voice choking off. It was enough for Batman to turn around, see his two proteges on the ground and unconscious. Batman turned to face Lincoln March, his mind reeling between disbelief and pure, unadulterated rage as he filled in the blanks.

This man - a man he had _trusted_ , a man he had befriended - had killed his son.

Bellowing in anger, Batman rushed forward. He caught March in a powerful grip across the chest and slung him across the room. March hit the wall with a grunt, sliding down to the ground. Batman stalked over to him, his hands clenched in tight fists.

March laughed, the sound catching in his throat as he struggled to get air back into his lungs. His eyes glinted with cold malice as he looked up at Batman, a sneer plastered across his face.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, brother," he told the other man.

* * *

Karla wasn't sure how long she sat there, kneeling next to Tim's dead body. She was barely aware of her surroundings, barely aware of the noise or scene around her. But finally, her head rose. She glanced up, her eyes tracking around the room as though she was waking up from a long sleep. She blinked slowly, glancing at Robin's body on the ground as she slowly got to her feet. Turning around, she couldn't stifle a gasp. Nighting and Batgirl were both out cold. Batman and Lincoln were locked in hand-to-hand combat across the room, and neither man looked ready to cede.

Frowning, Karla bent down, her fingers closing around the knife that she'd killed Tim with. Picking up the blade, Karla took a step back and aimed.

Under normal circumstances, Batman would have heard the whistle of the blade through the air. He might've even heard the shift of Karla's feet as she positioned herself.

But Batman's son had just died. He was distracted by his anger. Furthermore, he wasn't expecting Karla to be his enemy. If he had heard her, he would have assumed that she was aiming at Lincoln and wouldn't have hesitated to keep him distracted.

So, when the dagger embedded itself in Batman's shoulder, the momentary distraction it gave him was all Lincoln needed. Twisting around, Lincoln grabbed the hilt of the dagger, pushing it further into Batman's shoulder. As the Dark Knight grunted in pain, his face twisting underneath the cowl, Lincoln took the other man's momentary weakness to unsheathe another dagger and drive it straight into his heart.

Batman's eyes went wide beneath the cowl, and his grip slackened on Lincoln's wrists. He was dead before he hit the ground.

"Good girl," Lincoln complimented his protege. She couldn't help the smile that curved over her lips at his praise, like she was six again and had just hit her first bulls-eye with a throwing knife.

Lincoln grimaced as he bent down to retrieve his weapon. Batman was a worthy combatant, and Lincoln couldn't deny the fact that he'd been dealt some injuries. Holding his ribs carefully, Lincoln looked towards Karla. The girl was kneeling next to Nightwing, checking his pulse. Frowning, Lincoln picked up one of the daggers, stepping forward.

Karla heard him coming and her eyes went wide when she saw the knife in his hand.

"No –" she said, throwing her hand out. Lincoln paused, a frown flickering across his face at the distressed tone of Karla's voice. She took a deep breath, composing herself. "They'll be useful," she claimed. "I'm sure they'll – come around, eventually. If not, they're valuable as – as ransom." Lincoln frowned, unconvinced. "Please."

After a moment of careful deliberation and weighing pros and cons, Lincoln dipped his head once.

"He had to die," Lincoln replied, looking at Batman's prone body with a cold detachment. "I will spare the other two, and perhaps some of your other new friends, if you truly think they will be useful." Karla nodded rapidly, one hand stretched out in a poor attempt to block Lincoln and the other reaching for Nightwing.

"They – they will," she promised, her heart pounding in her chest. She was so afraid Lincoln would change his mind. "They'll come around. I promise. Please, spare them." Lincoln looked down at her, frowning slightly.

He couldn't deny that he was worried. Having people from Karla's past around could distract her, possibly twist her mind against him and their mission. But as she stared at him with her wide eyes, he found that he couldn't deny her.

"Very well," he replied in a clipped tone. Karla visibly relaxed, her chest heaving in relief as she sighed. Lincoln smiled slightly. "Come now," he told her, beckoning her. "We have work to do."

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

 **November 21, 12:17 EDT**

Taking down the rest of the heroes took a considerable amount of time, but overall it was surprisingly easy. Lincoln had many allies, and Karla had an advanced knowledge of the League's weaknesses. She could get Kryptonite from the Batcave, fire was easy to come by. She knew that a gravity beam took care of the speedsters, and the weak spots of every human.

Batman had made "contingency plans" for every member of the League, every member of the Team, and every ally that they ever had. Many of them were useful, sometimes even instrumental in taking down the heroes.

It didn't take long for Lincoln March to rise. While it couldn't exactly be said that he'd taken over the world, after only a few months the East Coast of the United States was completely under his control, and his power was only spreading.

There was no one to stop him. Not the League or the Team, not the military, not the Light or any other supervillains. They made grudging alliances with Lincoln, realizing his power. But they could not stop him – not even the Court of Owls could destroy what they had created. Lincoln was too strong, too powerful, and too clever. He'd been planning for years.

Karla mulled this over as she stood on the upper level of what had once been Gotham City's Police Department, which had promptly been transformed into the headquarters of her and Lincoln's operation. She watched as young cadets were dispatched on missions across the country, a small, pleased smile flickering across her face.

"Talon." Karla turned her head, arching an eyebrow at the guard who approached her. He dipped his head, both in a greeting and a sign of respect. Karla couldn't exactly say she was thrilled at the title that many had taken to calling her, but she'd never objected either. "If you would come with me?" the guard asked politely.

Karla didn't answer verbally, but she nodded once, following the guard down the stairs. He led her to an elevator, and the lift took them down to the holding level. Karla frowned, knowing exactly where they were going. As the doors slid open, revealing several heavily guarded doors that led into a long corridor filled with cells, she frowned.

"Why are you taking me here?" she asked him sharply, her voice echoing through the hallway. The guard turned towards her with a neutral expression on his face - too neutral. It was clear he was planning something.

"I thought you would want to see the work you have done," he replied. Karla didn't answer, looking away, and the guard smirked. "Unless, of course," he added, sounding slightly suspicious. "You think you will feel remorse." Karla glanced back at the young man, frowning at the accusation.

"Of course not," she replied coldly. She waved a hand. "Carry on."

The doors slid open, armed guards stepping aside and saluting as the two passed. Karla nodded her head to acknowledge their presence, keeping her face flat and emotionless even as her heart raced in her chest.

The guard smiled as he glanced through the windows of the cell. The surviving members of the Team and League were all being held there. Although during the initial struggles, it had been impossible for Lincoln to allow all of them to be kept alive, many of them had been taken prisoner.

Wonder Woman had no Kryptonite, nothing to keep her weak and contained – just an inhibiter collar would have been too risky. When Lincoln had found his chance to destroy her, he had. Other members of the League and Team were kept permanently crippled: Superman and Superboy were in a cell carefully lined with Kryptonite, the Martians were enclosed within a line of smoldering fire. All heroes with powers wore inhibiter collars.

The guard couldn't deny the fact that he believed all the heroes should be dead. It was better that way, and although many agreed, no one was willing to challenge Talon.

Karla passed the cells, glancing through the glass windows expressionlessly. Many of the heroes were too weak to acknowledge her; Lincoln had stipulated that they only be fed and hydrated once a day, just another barrier to keep them contained.

Some of the heroes were aware enough to meet her gaze as she stared at them. Dick staggered to his feet, over towards the window as she passed. Karla kept her gaze steadfastly forwards, but she couldn't help glancing over her shoulder when her brother spoke.

"Karly," Dick called out to her, his hand pressed against the glass. His voice was muffled by the door, but she could still hear him. She paused, turning to look at him, and his eyes widened with hope. "Please, this isn't you." Karla frowned, beginning to walk away as she responded.

"How do you know?" she asked distantly, her eyes narrowed. Dick watched her leave, his heart heavy in his chest as he slumped back on the ground. As Karla walked forward, Lagoon Boy bared his pointed teeth at her, his red eyes glinting with fury. Karla paused at his window, looking at her former teammate calmly.

"Traitor," he hissed, his voice cracking from lack of water. The Atlanteans found conditions particularly difficult, not used to being on land for extended periods of time without returning to the sea. Karla didn't answer Lagoon Boy, turning forward and walking past his cell instead.

"Talon." Karla looked up. The guard was standing next to another door, beckoning her forward. A small frown flickered across her face, and she walked over to where he was standing. The guard scanned his hand, unlocking the door and letting it slide open. Karla walked in, curious.

The room was cold, and goosebumps rose on Karla's skin even under her armor. She'd traded in her Kevlar suit she'd worn as Raptor for armor more akin to what she'd worn as a Talon, with slight differences that marked her as separate from the Court. Advanced though that the technology was, it didn't quite keep the chill out.

Karla looked around the room, noticing the long tables with covered bags on them. She knew immediately where she was - a morgue. She turned her head, looking at the guard expectantly. She wasn't sure why he'd taken her down here. Smirking, the guard stepped forward. He reached for one of the bags, unzipping it. Karla stepped forward, glancing in.

Her heart thudded in her chest as she stared at the boy incased inside the black fabric. She swallowed hard, barely able to contain the grimace on her face.

"Blue Beetle," she said quietly, forcing her voice to be steady as she stared at the dead body of her boyfriend. The guard glanced at her, looking satisfied at her telling reaciton.

"Is that his name?" he asked, suspicion flickering across his face. Karla clenched her jaw, throwing her shoulders up in a casual shrug. She forced herself to keep her eyes on Blue's face and look as detached as possible.

"How did this happen?" she asked, voice neutral.

"We got that _thing_ off of him." The guard pointed across the room and Karla followed his finger. Her stomach churned when she realized he meant the Scarab. The blue object was bent and twisted looking – _lifeless._ Karla remembered that Jaime couldn't live without it. She took a deep breath, wondering faintly if it had hurt. She swallowed hard.

"When?" She wasn't sure she really wanted to know the answer.

The guard watched her, his eyes narrowed. The young man's mouth former into a smirk, and he lifted his chin triumphantly. He felt vindicated in his suspicions, that the so-called Great and Mighty Talon, the successor to Lincoln March, still had a soft spot for her old team.

"Yesterday," the man replied, smirking in a self-satisfied manner. "Would you like the honor of telling the heroes that your friend is dead?"

Without another word, Karla turned around, the heels of her boots clicking against the ground as she left the room.

This time, as Karla passed, she was aware of those who were missing from the cells, those who had died. The Martian Manhunter was gone, as was Superboy. Both heroes succumbing to the long exposure to their weakness. She hadn't noticed, she couldn't remember when. But their bodies had been in that room with her - they had been in the other bags. Karla closed her eyes, her mind conjuring up images of their lifeless bodies. She swallowed hard.

Some were dead. And many of the others were ill and weak, unlikely to survive much longer. Karla's breath caught unexpectedly in her throat.

"Karla!" It was Wonder Girl speaking. She said Karla's name angrily, but there was an undertone of distress. "What – what happened?" Karla turned towards the blonde, attempting and failing to look cold.

"Jaime is dead," Karla replied. Her breath shook as she responded mechanically, hardly realized the words had left her mouth.

Wonder Girl's lips pressed together as the blonde fought back a sob. She had anticipated Karla's answer, but that didn't make hearing it less painful. Karla winced, turning away. Wonder Girl, perhaps, had suffered the most. Her mentor and boyfriend were dead, and she'd been powerless to stop it. Now one of her best friends, too, was gone.

Karla turned around, unable to bear being down here any longer. She strode towards the elevator, her heart pounding in her chest. She reached the end of the corridor, ignoring the shouts from her old teammates. Some were angry, some despairing. She couldn't look at them.

But once again, she betrayed herself. As she reached the end of the hall, Karla's eyes fell on the inhabitants of one of the cells. The blonde girl inside lifted her head, and Sara met Karla's eyes.

Sara didn't look angry, her blue eyes instead mournful as they met Karla's. Karla swallowed, her throat dry as her feet stuttered to a halt. Deaf as she was to the cries from behind her, Sara was able to stop her with just a glance.

Karla felt a hand close around her upper arm, and the guard began to drag her forward. In any other circumstance, Karla would have shoved the guard off of her, but she was too stunned to react.

Sneering, the man thrust her into the elevator. Once inside the lift, away from the noise and her friend's piercing gaze, Karla could breathe again. Coming back to herself, she wrenched her arm free from the guard's grasp. Stepping pointedly away, she crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath to compose herself.

After a short, silent ride to the ground floor, the elevator doors slid open with a _ding._ When the two of them stepped out of the lift, the guard reached forward. He grabbed Karla's shoulder again. This time she stiffened, turning around to glare at him. Her blue eyes narrowed menacingly.

"What?" she growled. The guard smiled pleasantly, motioning to one of the abandoned offices next to them. Scowling, Karla followed him inside. She crossed the room, turning her back on the guard. To the untrained eye, it looked foolish, too trusting. However, she was in fact sending the opposite message. This guard was not worth her time. She wouldn't look at him if she didn't want too. He was _beneath_ her.

Karla looked out the window at Gotham's grey skyline. With a rush of power, she glared at the city that had once terrified her, her blood racing with the knowledge that it was _hers_ now. A smirk crossed her face, her previous feelings of lack of control and sadness disappearing.

"Well?" she asked the guard, spinning around to look at the young man. He smirked at her, a sneer crossing his face.

"I knew it," he told her smugly. "Why do you think I took you down there?" Karla raised an eyebrow, and the guard laughed mockingly before continuing, "You are unfit as a second in command," he told her, his voice dark. "You're _soft._ Why let your old allies live?" Karla shook her head, moving to step past him.

"I don't need to defend myself to a simple guard," she replied coldly. He grabbed her arm, again. He shoved her backwards so that she was standing in front of him. Karla raised an eyebrow, duly impressed by his audacity. It was three times now that he had grabbed her without permission. She watched, wondering what his next move was.

He pulled a dagger from his belt and tossed it on the desk between him and Karla. He raised an eyebrow at her, a clear challenge. Karla lifted her chin, stepping forward. She recognized what he was doing: it was a game young Talons used to play. One would put a weapon on the table, and both would try to get it. Whoever got there first won – and the other died.

Without making a sound, Karla lunged for the dagger. The guard did as well. His arms were longer, and his fingertips brushed the hilt first. Karla grabbed his wrist, yanking it backwards and breaking the bone with a decisive sounding crack. The guard swore, reaching around with his other hand to grab Karla's throat.

Leaning down, Karla opened her mouth, biting down on his thumb until she tasted blood. Cracking her head backwards, she hit him in the mouth. He stumbled, crying out in pain, and Karla snatched the dagger up.

She pointed the blade at him, and he fell to his knees, holding up his hands in clear surrender. His eyes were wide with panic as he begged.

"Please," he said, gasping. Blood dribbled down his chin as he begged pathetically. "I won't challenge you again, I promise." Karla nodded her head.

"I know you won't," she said calmly. She leaned forwards, slitting his throat in a quick motion. He slumped forward, gagging on his own blood as he died. Karla wiped the dagger on her thigh, rubbing the blood away. Tucking it into her belt, she left the room.

"Send someone to clean up after me," she ordered one of the gauds who had been standing in the corridor. She spoke callously, as though she'd spilled a drink instead of someone's blood. But still, the woman nodded, and Karla left, heading down the hallway. A dark smile spread across her face.

No one could touch her. She was invincible.

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

 **December 1, 09:58 EDT**

Karla wasn't sure what had made her do it. Maybe it had been a slow build inside of her, something rising that not even the joy of Gotham on its knees could quell. Maybe it had started with Sara's long gaze, or with Jaime's death, or maybe with Dick's plea. Maybe it had started at the very beginning, with the tiny flicker of regret and revulsion she'd felt when she'd swung the knife towards Tim's throat.

Karla couldn't say when it stopped being enough. When she realized that having Lincoln back, good as it was, stopped pretending to be the ideal she'd always imagined. But slowly, the fog around her brain that she'd never noticed before began to fade.

One morning, she woke up and realized where and who she was, and what she'd done, she felt horrified. It wasn't that it hadn't happened before, but this was the strongest the feeling of self-hatred at ever been, the most remorse she'd ever felt. How could she keep them locked up like animals, suffering, while she lived what she believed to be her destiny?

It was Dick's birthday today.

Somehow, after all she'd done, it was that simple realization that pushed Karla over the edge, and she began to cry. Quiet sobs racked her chest as she fought for breath. She sat in her quarters, her chest shaking as she struggled to keep quiet. To show weakness could be a death sentence, and although Lincoln would never let that happen, the humiliation that came with being caught in tears would never leave.

After a while, Karla's tears stopped coming, and she sat in silence. As she breathed quietly, she wondered who she was. She remembered when she could classify herself easily as one of three personalities.

Karla Grayson - a quiet, paranoid, snarky teenager.

Raptor - a bitchy, heroic, _good_ superhero.

And the Talon - silent. Evil. Assassin.

Keeping herself contained to one of those three personalities had been so easy for Karla. She could classify all her actions as one of them, and there was very little overlap. But now, she wasn't sure.

She wasn't the Talon - she remembered her past, she didn't feel the overwhelming need to kill anyone in sight. She wasn't Raptor, nothing she'd done in the past four months could be considered "good." And she wasn't Karla Grayson. Karla didn't have the guts to do any of what she'd done, she didn't have the skill. And most importantly, she wouldn't have betrayed her friends and family.

Karla bent forward, burying her head in her hands and fighting back a sob.

What had she done?

The fog slowly closed over Karla's mind once more. She was almost unaware of the decision she made, and before she knew what was happening she was standing in front of the control room for the cells her teammates were being held in. She entered the room, and the guards who operated the station looked up in surprise. Karla nodded at them.

"Leave me," she ordered. "Now." The guards got to their feet, slowly leaving the room as they murmured to one another in confusion. Karla waited until she was alone, and then stepped towards the control panel. She ran her fingers over the dials, her eyes falling on one particular switch. A gas switch. One flick of it and then cells would be flooded with carbon monoxide. They would die.

This was why she'd come. To purge herself of all weakness, to put an end to her feelings of confusion and despair once and for all. And at the last second...

She couldn't do it.

Karla blinked once, her mind clearing. Her hand fell away from the switch, and she began to manipulate the other controls. She took a step back, a little breathless as she watched what she'd done.

The doors to the cells rose, and the heroes began to spill out of the rooms. Their inhibitor collars had been shut off. They were weak from captivity, but strong enough to fight back against the guards as they flooded in. A slow, confused smile spread across Karla's face as she watched the melee between the heroes and the guards below.

"Enough." A voice cut through the silent air of the control room, and Karla whirled around, her mind clearing once again. She blinked, and horror filled her as she realized what she'd done.

"Lincoln," she said quietly. He was standing there, guards surrounding him as he stared at her in disappointment. "I'm...I'm sorry." It wasn't a lie or a plea for mercy. It was the truth, and yet she felt guilty as she said it. Lincoln shook his head once, his eyes filled with dismay.

"Override: Owlman," he said. "Instigate lockdown procedure."

Immediately, alarms began to blare, and the cell doors that Karla had opened snapped shut, trapping those inside still. Inhibitor collars came back online, and Karla watched as Sara's Canary Cry broke off, vanishing as her powers disappeared once more. The guard staggered to her feet, kicking Sara back. The blonde hit the wall, and Karla fought back a cry of despair as the guard fired a gun once and her best friend fell still.

Lincoln stared at Karla, disappointment and anger clear across his face. She looked back at him, her eyes filled with terror and guilt. She swallowed hard, her fingers curling around the edge of the metal control panel, pretending she wasn't scared. She knew that he couldn't let this pass, that what she'd done was unforgivable. She braced herself.

When the attack came, it was so fast Karla didn't have time to react. The blow to her face stunned her, knocking her flat against the controls. She coughed, blood filling her mouth. Her teeth were loose.

When she spit, Karla saw a glint of metal among the blood and the white of her teeth. Lincoln's blow hadn't been random – he'd hit her to knock her electrum-laced tooth from her mouth. As Karla stared at the glint of metal, her breath caught in her throat. She knew then: Lincoln was going to kill her.

When the sharp point of Lincoln's sword pierced Karla's stomach she wasn't surprised. She cried out in pain, slumping against the control panel. Lincoln pulled the blade free, dropping it to the ground with a clatter. He stared at Karla, his eyes wide with remorse.

She looked at the blade on the ground, her heart in her throat. She wondered briefly if she should grab it, try to defend herself. But as she imagined killing Lincoln, her stomach churned, the uncomfortable sensation noticeable even through the pain from her wound. It wouldn't have done much good - she knew the wound in her stomach was fatal. And besides...

She couldn't do it. She could never hurt him.

And yet, she had. She'd hurt him more than she ever could have physically harmed him. Her betrayal cut sharper than any blade to him, just as the disappointment in Lincoln's eyes did to Karla.

"You were their last hope," Lincoln told Karla. It was true. Lincoln would never let them live now that she was gone. Karla stared at him, her blue eyes wide and stark against her pale face drained of blood as Lincoln continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "You were _my_ last hope."

"Don't…underestimate…them," she rasped, her hand pressing over the mortal wound in her stomach. It was either a warning or a threat, and neither Lincoln nor Karla could tell which. Was she defending her team, or was she protecting Lincoln? What did she regret more, her initial betrayal or her second one?

"Leave us," Lincoln ordered the guards in the room, his voice broken and sharp like shattered glass. They were quick to obey, none wanting to face Lincoln's wrath. The guards filed out, departing from the room one after the other. Lincoln knelt on the ground, next to Karla's body. He took her in his arms, cradling the girl as she died.

"Why did you have to do this?" Lincoln asked the dying teenager quietly. She blinked her eyes slowly, unable to speak. Tears welled in Lincoln's eyes as he watched the girl he'd practically raised bleed out before. Even as he grieved, he couldn't stop the anger that filled him as he stared at her. Why had she betrayed him?

"You were my progeny," he reminded her, bitter venom lacing his voice. Karla nodded slowly, her breath catching. Lincoln closed his eyes, harsh breath huffing from his lungs. "I am so sorry." A tear trickled down Karla's cheek. _Me too._

 _I've failed,_ Karla thought. Her last breath was sharp and full, almost a sob.

Karla knew that she'd failed _both_ Lincoln and her friends.

But what she didn't know was which failure she was more ashamed of.

* * *

 **\\_(. .)_/**

 **that happened.**

 **idk man. i honestly don't know. if it hadn't already been months since i've updated i would edit this two hundred thousand more times. but...c'est la vie.**

 **please let me know what you think of this chapter! i love hearing from you guys!**

 **i hope the next update won't take as long as this one did. however...(shameless self-plug) in the meantime you guys should check out my other young justice story Iron Justice if you haven't already! leave a review over there too! :)**

 **um. yeah. review, por favor!**


	20. Rewind

**Hello everyone.**

 **I would like to apologize for the long absence. I don't have a good excuse, except for that I really lost all inspiration for this story and it took me a long time to get my ass in gear.**

 **I just wish I'd made some different choices with this story - primarily, I wish I hadn't tried to incorporate my two OCs from an abandoned S1 story. I also wish I'd spent more time developing Karla's character before running headfirst into her story.**

 **I got very busy with these regrets and lost all inspiration to write. I finally managed to grind out this chapter, but to be totally honest, I'm not happy with it. I've worked on it for literally weeks (maybe even months?) and it's just not as good as I want it to be.**

 **But I wanted to finish this story, and maybe start thinking about revising it and/or about writing a sequel. So here is the final chapter of A Raptor's Talons. Thank you for reading.**

 **To CHEESEPUFF fg: I'm glad you like the story! Thank you for reviewing.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Karla Grayson (and I guess the plot for this chapter...just not Young Justice/DC) :))**

* * *

 **HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN:**

 **STAR CITY  
October 21, 2022, 19:31 EDT**

 _Rip woke up in a cold sweat, his chest heaving. He glanced at the clock beside him, and his heart rose into his throat. It was time. It was beginning._

 _Gideon came in from the en-suite bathroom. Her eyes were shining in the half-light, and she knelt on the bed next to Rip. The young man pressed his lips to his girlfriend's shoulder, trying to pretend he wasn't shaking in terror._

 _"We've spent years preparing," he whispered, half to himself. "How isn't it enough?" Gideon wrapped her arms around his shoulders, gently pushing him up so they were making eye contact. Rip blinked back tears._

 _"It's okay," Gideon reassured him, brushing Rip's bangs off of his forehead. "I'm not scared." Rip pulled her into a hug, pressing her against his chest. He wanted to stay in this moment, forever._

 _"I am," he whispered in her ear. He closed his eyes to savor holding her, just as the first blast rocked his house._

 _Vandal Savage's attack moved quickly. He had been planning the invasion for years, and, unlike Rip, he was prepared. His forces invaded Star City, creating chaos as civilians fled from his armies. The Justice League and the Team had responded to the attack, as had the US military forces._

 _Rip ran out of his and Gideon's house, rolling a small disc between his fingers – it was an "embiggening" chip, one of Ray's creations that he had yet to invent. Rip and Gideon had only brought one back in time with them. Gideon followed him, holding a small model ship in his hands._

 _The pounding of footsteps made the two Brits look up. Their friends had arrived, responding to their urgent message they'd sent out._

 _"Guys, what the hell is going on?" Jax shouted, looking panicked. Rip couldn't blame him. Their home was under fire._

 _"There's not much time to explain," Rip replied urgently. He did a quick headcount, cursing under his breath. "We need to find Sara, Nate, and Karla!"_

 _"Why?" Zari asked, her eyes wide as she wrapped her arms around herself. She was shaking slightly, and Amaya put her hand on her friend's shoulder in an attempt to comfort both of them. Rip sighed._

 _"I'll explain the rest later," he said. "This is all you need to know: we are going to protect time, to fix this war. Gideon and I are from the future and we came to this time to befriend and recruit you. Now we need to go." His friends stared at him._

 _"That's it," Mick announced in his normal slow-sounding drawl. "Rip's gone insane." Rip glanced at Gideon, who nodded and placed the Waverider down in front of them._

 _"Step back," she warned their friends. Once there was enough room, Rip tossed the chip onto the Waverider. The ship expanded immediately, growing to the size of a small house. Rip turned to the others, who were staring at the ship with wide, disbelieving eyes._

 _"We need to find the others," he said. "Quickly."_

* * *

 _White Canary scanned the battle lines, looking for Raptor. Her friend Rip had just contacted her. He hadn't made a ton of sense, but from what she understood, it was urgent that she collect Raptor and make her way to Rip's house. White Canary spotted the girl._

 _"Raptor!" the blonde shouted, racing across the street to get to her friend. Raptor swung her sword, engaging one of her enemies in battle. She stabbed them clean through the stomach and then pulled her sword out, looking around._

 _About four hundred yards away, Nightwing was fighting against another of Savage's soldiers. Raptor's eyes went wide as she saw another creeping up behind her brother. She grabbed her dagger, rushing over._

 _"Nightwing!" she shouted. "Behind you!" Her brother swung around, his eyes going wide just as the soldier stabbed him through the chest._

 _"Dick!" Raptor screamed, her voice breaking in the middle of his name. She barely noticed Superboy tackling her brother's murderer away, the clone yelling in rage. She dropped to her knees beside him, gripping his hand tightly. Nightwing's masked eyes stared blankly upwards as she ripped her glove off, pressing two fingers into the pulse point on his throat. Nothing. "No, no, please…" her breath caught, and she bent her head over his body. "Please don't leave me."_

 _"Karla!" White Canary raced up to her friend, her heart dropping when she saw Nightwing's body on the ground. She swallowed hard, leaning down and gripping Raptor's shoulder. "Karla, we need to go," the blonde whispered, feeling terrible. Raptor blinked slowly, looking around at the chaos around her._

 _"What?" She asked distantly, still clutching her brother's hand._

 _"Sara's right," Impulse said, appearing next the two girls in a blur. Raptor could see Jason running towards them too, much more slowly than the speedster. Impulse knelt down next to Raptor; his eyes unusually serious. "You two need to_ go, _" he told her, urgently. "Fix this. Fix the future." White Canary nodded, firmly pulling Raptor to her feet._

 _Raptor hesitated, staring at Dick's body. This just...didn't seem real. A hand brushed her face, and she looked up. Jason was standing in front of her, saying her name._

 _"Karla, go," he was saying. She stared at him._

 _"I can't," she whispered. Jason shook his head._

 _"Yes, you_ can. _You have to. You have to save us." Raptor closed her eyes, confused, she felt Jason's warm breath against her cheek. She opened her eyes again, and he was right there. "Go," he said again._

 _And then he was kissing her, not just a peck, but a real kiss that both grounded her in the moment and made her mind go fuzzy at the same time. He pulled back, cupping her face._

 _"I had to do that at least once," he told her, smiling that old mischievous grin that was so familiar to her. He squeezed her hand. "Go." Raptor blinked, and White Canary tugged at her arm again. Shaking her head to clear it, Raptor turned around. Sara was still there, staring at Raptor reassuringly._

 _"Let's go," the blonde whispered again. Her eyes were full of tears. Raptor couldn't respond. She stumbled after White Canary, tears burning in her eyes. The blonde kept turning around to hasten Raptor, her blue eyes wide with concern._

 _The dark-haired girl could barely comprehend what was happening. Before she knew it, she was standing a few houses away from Sara's friend Rip's. She could see a large, oddly-shaped ship on the lawn._ Is that where we're going? _She wondered distantly._

 _Gideon came rushing up, Nate following her. The young man had been fighting with the Team. Gideon turned around, sighing in relief when she saw White Canary and Raptor coming up the street. "Good –" she began to say, just as White Canary cried out a warning and a sword went through Gideon's stomach._

 _Gideon cried out in pain, her knees buckling as her hand instinctively went to the wound on her stomach. Nate grabbed her as she fell, slinging her up in his arms to carry her. His eyes were wide with horror as he gazed at the blood rushing from her stomach. Belatedly, he whirled around to look at the soldier who'd stabbed her friend. The villain was on the ground, dead, blood spreading across a wound in her chest. Nate raised his eyes to see Rip holding a blaster, his face twisted with pain._

 _"Oh my god," Sara whispered as she came running up. She stared at Gideon, bleeding out in Mick's arms. "What the hell is going on?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly. Rip swallowed hard, his panic rising. No matter how long he'd known, he wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready to lose her._

 _"Rip," Gideon said, opening her eyes. Her voice was weak, but she spoke firmly. "We need to move." Closing his eyes, the Brit nodded. He beckoned the others forward, into the Waverider. As soon as Martin and Jax, the last two, were aboard, Rip began giving directions._

 _"Gideon needs medical attention," he said. He led Nate to the medical bay and began to set-up an IV. The futuristic tech meant that many injuries could be healed quickly, but that didn't mean that time wasn't of the essence._

 _How ironic, to be aboard a timeship and to be running out of time._

 _"Rip," Gideon gasped out as he fumbled with the IV, his hands shaking. "Rip, go. You need to take-off. The Waverider can't take much more damage." Rip swallowed hard. They'd both known this moment was coming, but he had been in some kind of denial. Now that it was here, he felt like his world was falling apart. "You know what's going to happen," Gideon said quietly. "We both do." She brushed her hand against his cheek. "I love you."_

 _"I love you, too," Rip whispered. He pressed his lips against his girlfriend's forehead, struggling to keep it together. Another blast rocked the ship, and he pulled back. Gideon nodded, her face pale._

 _Rip pulled back, turning out of the medical bay and racing towards the bridge. Even just in the minute it took for him to get from room to room, the Waverider had already taken two more successive blasts._

 _Breathing hard, Rip slammed into the control panel as another blast rocked the ship. He fiddled with the controls, piloting the ship up into the air. Evading another blast, he set up a time-jump into the temporal zone where there would be all the time in the world to explain to his friends what was happening._

 _As soon as the Waverider was in the air, Rip was racing backwards the medical bay. His heart was pounding in his chest._ Maybe I can make it, _he thought desperately._ Maybe…

 _Rip rushed into the room, his eyes falling on his girlfriend. Gideon lay still, surrounded by her horrified friends. Martin was working with the controls, trying his best to revive her, but Rip knew it was too late. He closed his eyes._

 _"Stop," he said, his voice raspy. His friends turned to stare at him in shock, and Rip took a shuddery breath. "Just…stop."_

 _"She's…dead?" Amaya asked, her voice cracking. Nate wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's waist as he swallowed hard. Rip nodded slowly, moving towards Gideon's body. He took a deep breath, brushing his fingers over his girlfriend's face. He took another shaky breath before speaking._

 _"Computer," he said, trying to keep his voice from wavering too much. "Um. Upload – upload Gideon's consciousness." His voice broke, but the Waverider still understood what he was saying. The IV he'd attached to Gideon began to glow a bright blue, and there was a hum as the Waverider calibrated with her brain._

 _Gideon's body remained laying still, but her voice sounded through the air, full of gentle warmth._

 _"Good evening, Legends," Gideon said. Jax jumped, looking around for the source of the sound._

 _"Gideon?" Zari said quietly, a tear tracing down her cheek. Mick turned his back so he wasn't facing the others, but his shoulders were shaking slightly._

 _"I'm here," Gideon reassured her friends. "I'm always here."_

* * *

 **FRANCE, 1637  
** **TWO YEARS LATER**

"I look like an idiot," Mick grumbled, a permanent scowl set onto his face. He tugged at the frilly sleeve of the shirt he was wearing. Next to Heat Wave, Martin Stein shrugged.

"I rather like the style of _le Mousquetaires de la garde_ ," he said, using a perfect French accent. The two of them and Rip were standing in King Louis's palace, ready to defend the king from a potential threat. In order to blend in, they were wearing costumes, as per usual. Mick snorted.

"You _would."_

"Can we concentrate, please?" Rip cut in before his two friends could really get into it. The Brit's voice was tight with agitation. Ever since Gideon's death, he'd become progressively more withdrawn and bitter. He scanned the grounds. "King Louis XIII is scheduled to meet an untimely end at the hand of Cardinal Richelieu's men at _any_ moment."

The three young men were standing in the garden of the king's palace, wearing outfits that disguised them as any visitor. Karla, Nata, and Amaya had gone in the jumpship to take care of another problem in a different time, and Jax, Sara, and Ray were in various positions around the palace to protect the king.

" _Roger that,"_ the Atom's voice broke in over the comms. "I have eyes on the king." Rip sighed, relieved. For once the mission appeared to be going smoothly.

"Whatever you do, don't let him out of your sight."

" _But –"_ Ray protested. " _If today's the day he's supposed to – you know – with the queen…"_

 _"_ Raymond," Martin broke in, going off on one of his 'professor-tangents.' When Martin was excited about something, he could go on and on. "Without that consummation, there will be no Louis Coutures, no Sun King, and no golden age of France." Rip nodded in agreement, picking up Martin's point and continuing.

"Which means, by extension, no Madame Curie, no Louis Pastuer…"

" _Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it,"_ Ray said with a sigh. " _History will be totally screwed. But I don't have to be there for the actual…you know, consummation, do I?"_ Rip sighed, closing his eyes. Ignoring Ray's question, he tried to contact one of their other teammates.

"Sara," Rip said. "I need to know the Queen is secure." There was no answer, and Rip groaned again. His friends were sometimes impossible to wrangle. Martin's eyes swept the gardens and he nodded at a group of people dressed suspiciously in long black cloaks moving along the terrace.

"In the mean time, I believe I've identified our assassins," Martin said, looking at the group. He frowned, realizing that they were carrying futuristic blasters. "And I'd wager those aren't just _swords_ on their hips." Rip followed Martin's gaze, and sighed.

"Yes, I suppose that would explain the aberration," the Brit muttered. He turned his head. "Okay, just remain calm. They have no reason to think that we're -" Before Rip could finish his affirmation that the assassins didn't know who they were, they began to open-fire on the group. Martin, Mick, and Rip scattered, diving out of the way. "Never mind!" Rip gasped, pulling out his sword.

The three young men split up - Mick raced for the palace to intercept the assassins who had made it inside and Rip began to engage the nearest adversary. The Brit quickly knocked the gun out of his opponent's hand, leaving the other man with only a sword like himself. Martin disappeared in an attempt to find Jax, though he had no clue where the younger boy was.

Rip scrambled up the steps, turning to parry a blow from his opponent. The young man hopped up onto the railing of the staircase and from there pulled himself up onto the terrace. "Everyone back to the ship!" he shouted.

There was a loud crashing noise as the glass doors to the terrace across from Rip shattered. Jax rolled out amid the shards, wrestling with another assassin. Jax's opponent reared up, forcing Jax backwards and slashing out with his sword.

"That's easier said than done!" Jax said in response to Rip's command as he dodged the swipe from his adversary. Rip ignored Jax's complaint, preoccupied by the assassin he was dueling with whilst balancing precariously upon the railing of the terrace. Rip ducked his opponent's sword swipe and leapt backwards onto the terrace. Once he was firmly on solid ground, he thrust the edge of his sword out, catching the assassin in the knee.

The assassin yelped and made an instinctive grab for his wound. As he did so, he lost his balance and toppled off the railing of the terrace and onto the ground below. Rip turned around to see how Jax was faring. As Rip watched, Jax kicked back the assassin he was fighting. The man reached for his gun, and Jax staggered backwards.

"Grey," he shouted to his partner over the comms., glancing behind him. "Meet me on the north side of the house, and hurry!"

" _It's actually a chateau."_ Martin couldn't resist correcting his younger 'brother.' " _What is your plan?"_

"You'll see!" Jax shouted, spinning around and diving off the edge of the roof. Rip's eyes went wide and he ran to the edge of his terrace to look down. Martin was standing just below the railing and Jax was falling straight towards him.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Martin muttered, raising his hands. Jax stretched his hands out as well, and as soon as his fingers brushed Martin's palms, the two combined to become their shared alter-ego of Firestorm. Rip closed his eyes, groaning in irritation as Firestorm took off through the air, fire streaming from his head and hands.

"Ah... _bloody hell,"_ Rip muttered. To add fuel to the fire, Ray Palmer wearing his full-sized Atom suit came flying around the edge of the palace. He blasted one of the assassin's, making the person fall of the roof, before landing next to Rip on the terrace

"That was the last assassin," the Atom said cheerfully. Rip stared at his friend in shock, and he stared back. "What?"

"What did we _say_ about not using powers and future tech?" he asked his friend in irritation. The Atom blinked, and then shrugged. He looked back at the assassin on the ground, and at the laser blaster lying next to him.

"Well, yeah," he admitted. "But they started it." Rip groaned, shaking his head as the rest of their teammates began to pour onto the terrace as well.

"Don't look at me!" Mick insisted, having caught the end of Rip's reprimand. "I left my gun on the ship like a good little boy scout." Mick stepped over the assassin's body carelessly, regrouping with his friends. Behind Mick was the King of France, stumbling about and hyperventilating.

"What is going _on?"_ he gasped, looking around at all the assassins and then at the heroes with wide eyes. Rip sighed, and when Firestorm landed behind him, he turned to give the hero a stern look. Firestorm shrugged sheepishly.

Sara appeared from the palace looking rather disheveled, holding up her skirts as she rushed down the stairs. Her hair was a mess and her chest was heaving, and upon closer inspection it appeared that she was missing the outer layers of clothing she'd been wearing when they'd come. She cleared her throat.

"I believe the queen is waiting for you in her bedroom," Sara announced, curtsying before King Louis. He stared at Sara with wide eyes, still in shock from what he'd just witnessed. Firestorm was smirking. He had realized where Sara had been during that fight and was unable to control himself from teasing Sara.

"And I'll bet she's all warmed up for you," Firestorm said with a wicked smirk. Sara glared at her friend, and Firestorm laughed again.

"Shut your mouth Jax," Sara warned, glaring at the younger boy. "Or I'll cut your eyes out and feed them to you." Firestorm simply chuckled again, crossing his arms over his chest as he shook his head in amusement. Sara scowled, punching him on the arm as she walked past. Rip sighed.

"I believe our work here is done," he muttered, shaking his head. He turned to leave the roof, his teammates following him. They'd left the Waverider not too far away from the palace, so the walk over was short. As they entered the ship, Jax and Martin split once more. Martin immediately began to scold Jax for being reckless.

"Another successful mission in the books!" Ray said cheerfully, pumping his hands in a celebratory manner. "Where are we off to next?"

"Gideon and I have calculated a 96 percent likelihood of another aberration in Bhopal, 1912," Martin said once he'd stopped lecturing Jax. The team walked through the metal corridors of the Waverider, towards the cockpit. Mick grunted.

"Why can't it be Aruba, 2024?" he protested. Their first mission(s) as the Legends had been cleaning up their future and defeating Vandal Savage. They had managed to do so over the course of one year, and then they'd returned home. After only a few months, however, many of them got restless, and made an unanimous decision to continue protecting history.

Still, it could get tiring.

"For real," Jax agreed. "We've been going non-stop for the past six months!" Sara listened to her friends in mild disbelief, surprised that none of them were talking about the glaring concern with the last mission. Despite her faux-pas on the last mission, she did have a strategic head.

"No one wants to address the fact that Cardinal Richelieu's men were armed with _laser guns?"_ She asked incredulously, shaking her head. She couldn't believe that the assassins had gotten their hands on those weapons. Martin nodded.

"Clearly provided to them by a time-pirate or some such," he agreed. The team entered the bridge and Jax sighed, seeing his friends' point.

"Aw, Grey's right," he said regretfully. "We need to find out who -" Rip, who had been standing at the center control of the Waverider, finally looked up. He cut Jax off, losing his patience.

"So you can get another chance of destroying the very history you're _supposed_ to be protecting?" Rip asked sarcastically. The other members of the Legends paused and exchanged long-suffering looks. They couldn't seem to go one mission without getting a lecture from Rip. Ray smiled.

"Ah, I knew I forgot something!" he said in faux-surprise. "The part where Rip tells everything we did wrong." Rip wasn't amused by Ray's joke. He glared at his friends.

"As in, seducing the Queen of France just before she's supposed to conceive the country's greatest hope for the future?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at Sara. The blonde hero raised her hands defensively.

"She seduced me," she corrected Rip. The Brit rolled his eyes.

"Or wrong as in violating our policy of not using super powers in front of people?" he asked, looking at Ray, Jax, and Martin pointedly. Martin was more of an afterthought, he'd only helped Jax activate their powers to save Jax's life. But Ray and Jax had had other options and didn't use them.

"They had laser guns!" Jax exclaimed, making a face. Mick snorted from the corner, where he was tugging at the sleeve of his shirt again.

"At least I didn't screw up this time," he said. Rip rolled his eyes. He walked over to the other man, reaching into his belt to pull out the gold chain Mick had been concealing. He'd seen his friend lift it, but hadn't had time to insist that he put it back. Rip waved the chain in front of Mick's face, and the other man stared back. "Stealing's not screwing up," Mick said.

Rip sighed, walking into his office to toss the gold chain on his desk. The other members of the team recognized the dismissal of their debrief and began to leave. Before they could all vacate the area, Gideon spoke up, "The jump-ship is docking with the Waverider now," she announced.

Sara smiled as she heard Gideon's update, heading back to her quarters. As she stepped inside the room, she heard footsteps approaching, and she left the door open. Jax ducked into his room across the hall, and then Karla poked her head in. "Hey."

"Hey," Sara responded with a smile. "How did your mission go?" Sara asked as Karla entered their quarters. The two of them didn't _technically_ have to share a room, but more often or not they did.

Karla shrugged, peeling off her mask. Her mission had taken place in the future, so instead of time-appropriate garb, she was wearing her superhero suits. Instead of the Talon-inspired gold getup, however, Karla now donned the black-and-blue Kevlar and the name Nightwing in an homage to her brother.

"It was dull," she replied, with a shake of her head. "How about yours?" Sara shrugged too. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything Jax shouted out from across the hall.

"Your girlfriend fucked the Queen of France," Jax called. Karla's mouth dropped open, and she began to laugh.

The two girls had never really defined their relationship as exclusive, so Karla was more amused than anything else. Sara sighed, rolling her eyes.

"That's about right," the blonde muttered, shrugging her shoulders in a mildly sheepish manner. Karla laughed again; her blue eyes bright. She took a step closer.

"So…" Karla asked suggestively. "How's the Queen of France in bed?" Her blue eyes glinting mischievously, and Sara smirked. She shoved Karla playfully, and the shorter girl allowed herself to be pushed back onto the bed. Sara leaned down on top of her, pressing her lips against Karla's throat.

"Not as good as you," Sara whispered back huskily. Karla moaned, leaning her head back. She wound her fingers through Sara's blonde locks and guiding the other girl's head up to kiss her.

"Mm…" Karla murmured. "Flatterer." She tilted her head, deepening the kiss. Before the two could get much further, there was a loud _boom_ and the Waverider shook. The two girls were jostled together, and Sara fell off the bed and hit the ground. She winced.

"Ow…"

"Gideon!" Karla exclaimed, sitting up straight. Karla looked around in alarm as she got to her feet. She paused to help Sara up quickly before heading out of her quarters. Across the hallway, Jax was coming out of his room as well, a similar look of shock on his face. All three of them began running towards the cockpit. "What was that?" Karla asked.

By the time she, Jax, and Sara arrived, the rest of the team was coming as well. Gideon spoke, her voice anxious. "That was a time-quake, I'm afraid," she told the Legends. "An unusually large aberration." Rip swore under his breath, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

"What triggered it?" he asked. Though neither he nor the Legends had ever experienced a time-quake before, Rip knew they were catastrophic. There was a moment as Gideon scanned all of history, trying to see where the quake had occurred.

"Gotham City, August 4, 2016. It appears that…a former Talon took over Gotham City and eventually the entire east coast starting on that date." Karla's motuh dropped open. There was a pause, unusual for Gideon, before she continued, sounding almost reluctant, "It appears that a young Karla Grayson aligned herself with Lincoln March and took down the Team _and_ the League."

Karla gasped out loud, clutching the table in front of her. All the others turned to look at Karla. The woman's face had gone pale, and she looked like she was about to be sick.

"Lincoln…" she whispered shakily.

"You know him?" Ray asked his friend. Karla nodded shakily. She licked her lips.

"He trained me," she replied reluctantly. "He was practically family." She scanned the historical reports that Gideon projected in front of them. "There's no way he would -" she shook her head, cutting herself off. "Never mind. Gideon, plot a course."

"Course plotted," Gideon responded after a moment. "The altercation occurred at a gala." Rip nodded, looking to his friends. All of them were staring at Karla in shock. Rip was surprised too, but he'd known a little more about Karla's past than her friends did - it had all been in the history books.

"Get dressed," he told them. "Ray, suit up." The Legends dispersed to get ready for their impromptu mission, but Karla was rooted in place. She was gazing off into the distance, her eyes locked on something only she could see. Sara stepped up to Karla hesitantly, running a hand down the other girl's back.

"Karla," Sara whispered. She stepped in front her, cupping her face gently. Karla blinked back tears, focusing on Sara's face. Sara pulled her into a hug, her heart aching for the other girl. "I'm so sorry."

Karla didn't respond, and Sara pulled back after a long moment. She traced a hand down Karla's face, and then turned to leave, figuring it might be best to give Karla a few moments to herself. No sooner had Sara stepped away, however, than did Karla finally find her voice.

"Sara, wait." The blonde stopped, turning to look at Karla. The raven-haired woman was staring at her with wide blue eyes. The shorter girl took two steps forward, pressing herself into Sara's arms. Sara wrapped herself around Karla again, and the dark-haired girl looked up. "I need you to do me a favor," Karla breathed out. Sara nodded, bewildered.

"Anything," she whispered. Karla pulled back slightly, her eyes grave. She swallowed hard, and when she spoke her voice was shaky.

"If Lincoln March gets to me," she said quietly. She took a deep breath. "If he gets in my head and gets me to side with him –" Sara shook her head.

"He won't," Sara interrupted. "He won't, you won't listen to him." Sara clutched Karla's face. "You are stronger than him." Karla's lips twitched slightly, and she shook her head.

"I - I love you for saying that," she whispered. "But I don't know if it's true." She took another breath, and then continued, her voice barely above a whisper. Sara listened with growing dread. She knew what Karla was about to say. "If he gets to me," she continued. "I need you to –" her voice cracked, and Sara closed her eyes. "I need you to – to kill me." Sara shook her head slowly, and Karla continued.

"You'll never win if he gets me. I know it's not fair," she whispered, staring at Sara imploringly. She reached up to cradle her Sara's face, her cool hands bracketing the blonde's cheeks and chin. "I know, and I'm so sorry." Karla closed her eyes. "I just…"

"I know," Sara whispered, blinking slowly. She reached out carefully, brushing Karla's hair behind her ear. Karla's breath came out in a hard shudder. "It's okay." Sara swallowed hard, and when she spoke again, her voice was raspy. "I got you."

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY  
** **August 4, 2016, 21:51 EDT**

The Legends scattered around the party. Most of them were wearing dress clothes in order to blend in except for Ray, who was zooming around in his miniaturized Atom suit.

Nightwing was standing inconspicuously in the corner, watching her younger self from across the room. The younger Karla wasn't paying attention to anyone at the party, simply scanning her eyes across the room furtively. As Nightwing watched, the other Karla inconspicuously pressed down on her comm., listening to whoever was speaking to her.

After a moment, she set her glass down on a nearby table and crossed the room. Nightwing followed her gaze, which was locked on the disappearing form of a tall man.

Lincoln March.

Taking a deep breath, Nightwing raised her hand to her own comm., murmuring to her friends out of the corner of her mouth. "I got eyes on the younger me," Nightwing muttered to her teammates as she began to follow the other Karla at a distance. She watched as Lincoln slipped out of the ballroom and into a side door, Karla following suit. She quickened her pace, sliding out after them.

By the time Nightwing got to the hallway, Karla had already realized who her mark truly was. The teenage girl was staring at Lincoln, hands slack by her sides. Nightwing swallowed hard as she slid closer. Her eyes fell on Lincoln's face, and her heart stuttered. She'd missed him so much...

Lincoln was speaking to the younger Karla quietly enough that Nightwing couldn't hear what he was saying. She watched, stricken, as Lincoln turned her younger self to face the windows. He was murmuring to her, telling her his plan. Nightwing was glad she couldn't hear what Lincoln was saying – she didn't doubt that she would be tempted. Hand trembling, Nightwing raised a hand to her comm.

"Sara," she whispered. "Do you have a shot?" There was a beat of silence, and then Sara replied.

" _Yes,"_ the former assassin whispered back. Karla's throat closed up. Neither she nor Sara had breathed a word of their agreement to their friends – the others were under the impression that Sara would take out Lincoln March if she needed to. They had no idea that Karla was the target.

"Copy," Nightwing responded. "I'm moving in."

Nightwing dropped her hand from her comm., rushing up behind Lincoln March. She tacked the man to the side, his arms falling away from Karla's shoulders. Lincoln grunted in surprise, and Nightwing used his momentary distraction to roll on top of him. She pulled her fist back, punching him in the face as hard as she could.

The younger Karla whirled around in shock. She blinked several times, shaking off the cobwebs that Lincoln had spun around her brain. Still, the scene in front of her didn't make sense. A young woman wearing dress clothes was fighting Lincoln. Karla watched as Lincoln shoved the young woman off, and Karla got a good look at her face. She blinked.

"Mom?" she whispered quietly. Nightwing turned her head at Karla's quiet, shocked exclamation. Her moment of distraction cost her dearly, and Lincoln tackled her to the ground. Nightwing grunted, and Lincoln March bowled her over, wrestling her so that she lay flat. She tried to shove him off of her, but he was too strong.

As he loomed over her, Lincoln got a good look at Nightwing's face. He paused, not letting his grip slacken, and looked from Nightwing to Karla and then back again. He laughed, delighted.

"Well!" he said. "Two owlets for the price of one." He flipped Nightwing over, pulling her into a headlock. "Join me," he hissed in her ear. "We could have it all. _Join me."_ Nightwing closed her eyes. She could feel the small vestige of control that had remained since she'd seen Lincoln slipping. Her resolve was breaking.

She could _see it._ Her and Lincoln, punishing all those who had done them wrong. Nightwing's grip on Lincoln's wrist slackened nearly involuntarily as she began to give up.

" _Karla!"_ Sara's voice sounded urgently in her ear. " _Karla, stay with me, babe. Listen to my voice - you're stronger than him."_ Nightwing closed her eyes.

"Sara..." she whispered slowly.

Suddenly, Lincoln's grip on Nightwing went loose, and the woman went sprawling across the ground. She gasped as she hit the floor, realizing how close she'd been to letting Lincoln get in her head. She looked up to see which of her teammate's had saved her. To her surprise, it was none of them.

The young Karla Grayson had buried one of her knives in Lincoln's neck, all the way up to the hilt. The man was gasping, blood slipping down his collar and staining his shirt bright red.

Karla's face was twisted as she pulled the dagger from Lincoln's neck, dropping the weapon to the floor. The man fell to his knees, his wide as he stared at the younger Karla in shock. His hand was clasped to his wound, blood spilling out beneath his fingers. "Owlet..." he whispered, choking on his own blood. His voice wavered under the weight of her betrayal and Karla choked back a sob.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, bending her head over his body. "I'm so sorry..." Lincoln didn't answer. His head fell flat against the ground, his breathing becoming shallow. Karla knew exactly where she'd stabbed him - the carotid artery. There was no doubt that he was dying. She gripped his hand as his life left him, her breath coming in shaky gasps as she fought back tears.

Nightwing watched in horror. _"Nightwing!"_ Sara's urgent voice came over the comm. " _What's going on?"_

Snapping back to herself, Nightwing scrambled to her feet. "Everything's - everything's fine," she gasped. She scrambled over to Lincoln's body, wrenching his jaw open. Karla stared at her in shock as she groped around in the back of Lincoln's mouth. Her fingers fell on the tooth she was looking for and she yanked hard, ripping the electrum-lined tooth from Lincoln's mouth. She dropped it to the ground, revulsion curling in her stomach.

"Thank you," Nightwing whispered to Karla. The younger girl didn't answer. Her face was deathly pale.

"Who are you?" she asked. Nightwing pressed her lips together, not knowing what to answer. Before she could figure out what to say, Rip's voice came over the comm. urgently.

" _Nightwing, the third Robin will walk through the hallway door in one minute and thirty-eight seconds. You need to go!"_

Nightwing stared at Lincoln March's dead body, her heart twisting. She couldn't bring herself to move. She was faintly aware of Rip urging her again in the background, her other friends chiming in when she didn't respond. The younger Karla stared at the elder woman, waiting for her to say something.

A chill ran down Karla's spine. Something about the way the woman was looking at Lincoln, something about the raw, horrified expression on her face...it reminded Karla of herself. She took a shaky breath.

"You should go," Karla whispered to the other woman. She tore her eyes off of Lincoln's body to look at Karla with unseeing eyes. "Go," Karla said again, growing desperate. To Karla's relief, a young man wearing a high-tech suit of armor came running up. As Karla watched, he slid his helmet down, exposing his face. Another chill ran down her spine as she realized that, despite the fact that this man was several years older, it was unmistakably Ray Palmer, Sara's friend. Karla blinked.

"Come on," the older Ray murmured to the woman. He cast a nervous glance at Karla, tugging on the woman's arm. "Let's go." The woman rose to her feet slowly, and the older Ray pulled her out of the hallway undetected. Karla stared after them, shell-shocked.

"Karla? Oh my god!" Tim's voice surprised Karla, and she looked up. The younger boy ran over to his friend, already pulling his phone out. He dialed 911, requesting an ambulance and the police as he dropped on his knees next to Karla. "What happened?" he asked her urgently as he hung up the phone. Without waiting for an answer, Tim raised his hand to the comm. in his ear. "Bruce, March is dead. Karla and I are in the side hallway."

"Karla, what happened?" he asked again. She blinked slowly, turning to look at Tim. Her face was pale, and there was a smudge of blood on her cheek.

"I don't…I'm not sure," she replied slowly. That wasn't quite a lie. The last few moments felt so unbearably confusing, she was hardly sure that they were real. Tim looked around again, cringing as he noticed the dagger laying to the side.

"Who did this?" he asked Karla gently. The hallway door burst open and Bruce came running out, his eyes wide. In the distance, Tim could hear sirens wailing. "Karla?" he prompted the older girl. Bruce knelt beside Tim and Karla, and Karla closed her eyes, trying to sort out her whirling thoughts.

"It was me," she whispered, so quietly that Tim could barely hear her. He glanced at Bruce with wide eyes.

"Tim, what happened?" she heard Bruce ask. Tim shrugged, just as bewildered as Bruce was. Both of the men turned to look at Karla for a further explanation, but her eyes were still closed.

The only thing Karla could think was: _I'm sorry._

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY  
August 7, 2016, 09:58 EDT **

Commissioner Gordon stared at the security tapes in disbelief. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was finally hallucinating after one to many nights of poor sleep. But when he took his hands away from his face, the image on the screen didn't change.

"You're _positive_ this hasn't been doctored?" the commissioner asked futilely. The tech who'd brought him the tape nodded sympathetically.

"Yes, sir, I'm certain." The younger officer paused, and then added softly, "I know you know the family. But this is real."

James Gordon sat down in his chair with a heavy sigh. The investigation about Lincoln March's assassination had been ongoing, and in the few days that had passed there had been no breaks in the case thus far. The only witness was Karla Grayson, the sister of Commissioner Gordon's daughter's best friend, and she had been too stunned to really shed much light on the matter.

No one, Commissioner Gordon least of all, had thought that Karla might be a suspect.

But now, the security tape of the hallway was suggesting – practically _proving_ – otherwise. Gordon rubbed his temples. He was getting a headache.

"Dad?" The commissioner looked up. His daughter, Barbara, was standing in the doorway to his office. She walked closer, curious and a little apprehensive. She'd heard the young officer's statement about her dad knowing "the family," and the horrified look on her father's face was plain as day.

Before her father could protest, Barbara leaned over his desk to look at the computer screen. Frozen on the laptop was the clear, undeniable image of Karla Grayson stabbing Lincoln March. Barbara gasped loudly.

Normally, Commissioner Gordon might have been upset that his daughter was peeking in while he was reviewing key evidence but given the circumstances, he couldn't find it in him to scold her.

Barbara rocked backwards, her mind reeling. She tried to recall the events of the night, but she was too stunned to think properly. Karla had gone after Lincoln, and then moments later he was dead. But it didn't make sense - all evidence pointed to Lincoln not being violent, and Karla hadn't said anything incriminating. Why would she kill him?

"Sir." The commissioner looked up. One of his other officers was standing in the doorway to his office, her face grave. "Karla Grayson was just spotted walking into the park." Commissioner Gordon sighed.

"Let's go," he said with a nod, getting to his feet. He walked over to the door of his office, grabbing his holster and pulling it on. Barbara stayed where she was, rooted in place by her father's desk.

She felt dizzy. "Dad…" Commissioner Gordon stopped what he was doing, looking over at his daughter. He walked over to her, pulling the nineteen-year-old into a tight hug.

"I know, baby," he said quietly. "I don't want to do it either."

* * *

Karla knew that her arrest was unavoidable. She had been aware of the security cameras in the hallway, and she knew it was only a short matter of time before someone thought to review the footage. They would quickly deduce that her attack wasn't self-defense, and that she was to blame for the assassination of a beloved politician.

And she would never know the truth. Karla couldn't bring herself to sully Lincoln's name. She wasn't going to claim self-defense, or expose that Lincoln March had once been one of the most dangerous assassins the world had ever known, and had been plotting to take over the world.

None of them would understand why she'd killed him.

Dick and Karla were walking through Gotham City Park when a familiar figure caught Karla's eye. Dick was on the phone, so she waved a hand to get his attention and then pointed vaguely off to the distance to indicate she was leaving. He nodded and gave her a thumbs-up and then continued arguing with his landlord.

Karla walked over to the young woman standing next to the fountain. She stood a few feet away from her, trying to think of what to say. Finally, she spoke. "You're not my mother, are you?" The elder girl glanced at Karla.

"No," she said finally. Her mouth twisted slightly at the corner. "I'm not." Karla nodded. She'd figured this much out after thinking about what had happened more logically. After much thought, she'd come to another conclusion that was perhaps even more impossible.

"You're me," Karla said. The other woman gave Karla a sharp look and then nodded slowly, her breath huffing out.

"How did you know?" The younger Karla played with a loose thread on the cuff of her sleeve. She shrugged.

"I saw the older Ray," she murmured. "I put the pieces together, I guess." She blinked slowly. "If you're here," she said. "That means…I would have done something really awful, wouldn't I?" The older Karla didn't answer. "I knew it."

"You're right," the Karla from the future said with a sigh. "I came to stop you." The future Karla paused for a moment, and then turned towards her past self. There was a strange, intense glow in her eyes. "You know what happens now, don't you." It wasn't a question.

The younger Karla nodded. She'd been waiting for this moment for the past several days. She sighed. "Commit the crime, do the time," she muttered sarcastically under her breath. She nudged the ground with her toe.

"You could try to plead not guilty," the elder Karla said weakly. Both knew that that wasn't an option - Karla would take responsibility for it. It was her own way of giving Lincoln justice, even if he didn't deserve it. The Karla from the future sighed again. "I'm - um..." she trailed off, pulling her hand out of pocket to show a small metal device. "I'm supposed to wipe your memory of all of this. Me and Ray and everything." The younger Karla stared at her, and her older self sighed. "I'm not going to do it," she said. She tucked the device back in her pocket, glancing to the side furtively.

"Um...thanks," the younger Karla said quietly. There was a beat of silence, and then, unable to help herself, "So - you and Sara? That's, like..." The elder Karla shot her younger self an amused look, and she shuffled her feet, looking at the ground. "Um. Never mind."

"Go back to our brother," the older Karla said. "Spend as much time with him as you can." She glanced at the ground. "It won't be long now." The younger Karla nodded slowly, turning to leave. Before she walked away, she glanced over her shoulder.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "For stopping me." The Karla from the future made eye contact with her younger self.

"Thank you for stopping _me,_ " she replied.

Karla blinked, but she didn't have time to ponder this. The elder version of her was already walking away, her hands stuffed in her pockets and her head bent. Karla headed back over to Dick, who was hanging out his phone with a sigh when she walked up. He shot her a smile.

"Karla!" A familiar voice shouted. The dark-haired girl turned her head. Barbara was headed towards her, a panicked look on her face. Before she could get any closer, a uniformed cop came out of nowhere, intercepting Barbara's path and holding her back. The redhead struggled to get past, and Karla swallowed hard at the pained look on the elder girl's face. She could hear the sirens.

Taking a deep breath, Karla turned back to her brother. Dick had noticed Barbara too, and his lips were parted in confusion as he stared at his best friend. "What –" he began.

Before he could say another word, Karla launched herself at him, hugging Dick and hanging on tight.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She had known it was coming soon, yes, but she hadn't realized it would be this soon. Dick instinctively hugged his sister back; his confusion and panic was growing.

"Karly, what's going on?" Karla didn't answer. She kept her eyes closed and her face buried in Dick's shoulder. _I'm going to hang onto this moment forever_ , she thought fiercely, her eyes stinging painfully with tears. She reached into her jacket, subtly unhooking her utility belt and slipping it into Dick's pocket. She could hear the footsteps approaching.

"Karla Grayson?" Commissioner Gordon's voice cracked with emotion as he stared at the two siblings in front of him. Karla stepped away from Dick, holding her hands up. Her eyes were closed, tears shining at the edges of her eyelashes. Dick whipped around; his face contorted with panic.

"What? What's going on?" the Commissioner couldn't answer. One of his officers stepped forward, beckoning Dick away from Karla. The nineteen-year-old resisted, looking back towards his sister in confusion. "Karly –" He looked around, realizing for the first time that the guns the police officers were holding were trained at his sister. It didn't take him long to put two and two together.

"What?!" Dick shouted. "What? No, Jim – " He took a step forwards the commissioner, and one of Gordon's officers caught Dick across the chest, stopping him in his tracks. "Sir, please," Dick said, begging. He stretched his hand out, unsure if he was trying to stop the police or reach his sister. "You can't – she didn't – whatever's going, she didn't do it." He stared at the police officers beseechingly. " _Please_." The police commissioner turned towards his daughter's best friend. His voice was heavy with regret as he spoke.

"Karla Grayson." Commissioner Gordon finally found his voice. "You are under arrest for the assassination of Lincoln March. Put your hands on your head and get down on the ground." Karla did as she was told, moving slowly and deliberately as to not seem threatening. Once she was kneeling, her hands behind her head, one of Gordon's officers stepped up.

The officer, Roberts, pushed Karla to the ground so that she was laying on her stomach. He began to frisk her, searching for a weapon. Dick's heart stuttered when he realized that Karla was probably wearing her utility belt. But Roberts found nothing.

For the first time, Dick registered a weight in his pocket that hadn't been there before. He slid his hand into his pocket, his fingers brushing the cool metal of her belt. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard.

The cop holstered his gun and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Yanking one of Karla's arms down at a time, he locked her wrists behind her back.

"You have the right to remain silent," Roberts recited, pulling Karla to her feet. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I've just read you?" Karla didn't answer, her jaw moving tightly. The officer waited a beat, and then repeated, "Do you understand – "

"Yes," Karla interrupted. She turned her head, opening her eyes to look at the arresting officer calmly. "I understand."

* * *

The trial went quickly. Karla made the decision to plead guilty early on, but the lawyers Bruce hired on her behalf were the best in the business, and they somehow managed to cop a house arrest deal until her sentencing.

Karla had to agree to wear a monitoring anklet that's barriers were constricted to the Wayne Manor. Given the breadth of the mansion, though, that still gave Karla a fair amount of freedom. She wasn't allowed visitors, not that it really would've mattered. She doubted that Bruce would have let any of Karla's friends from the Team – Sara or Jaime – come over, given the whole "secret identity" thing. But still, she'd been allowed to speak to them over monitored phone calls.

Despite Karla's adamancy to plead guilty, her lawyers were still conspiring about other plans. Now they'd come to her with one that she absolutely hated.

"No way," Karla said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. Dick was sitting on the couch next to her, and he sighed.

"Karly –" Dick began.

" _No_ ," she repeated. "I'm not taking an insanity plea." Dick closed his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the messy strands in frustrated irritation.

"Why do you have to be so _goddamn_ stubborn?" Karla glared at her brother, her blue eyes icy. She tried to be as easy-going as she could with this trial - she wanted as many moments spent with her brother to be good memories. This, however, was one thing that she would not budge on.

"I'm not going to Arkham," she said, a note of finality in her voice. Dick shook his head, but she continued, knowing what he was about to say, "I'm being tried in _Gotham,_ I'll be sentenced in _Gotham._ It doesn't matter that I live in Blüdhaven." Dick sighed.

Lucille Banks, Karla's lawyer, spoke up. She'd been quietly listening to the siblings argue, as she had hoped Dick would be able to convince his younger sister without her help. Family was generally more effective. But here she felt she needed to cut in.

"We can stipulate that your sentencing has to be in Blüdhaven," Lucille offered. Karla opened her mouth to refuse, but Dick spoke first.

"Do it," he said. Karla scowled, and Dick rushed on. "I'm her legal guardian," Dick said. "Don't I have power of attorney?" Lucille nodded, and Karla leaned her head back, closing her eyes.

"Fine," she muttered, exhaling slowly.

The sentencing was that evening. There wasn't enough time for Lucille's deal to be approved, but she'd already spoken to the judge for an appeal. She told Karla that she'd likely be summoned back to the courtroom in a month's time.

There weren't many people in the courthouse there for Karla when the judge sentenced her. Dick was there of course, as were Bruce, Tim, Alfred, and Barbara. Commissioner Gordon was with his daughter. But that was it.

The rest of the room was filled with people who had supported Lincoln March - either personal friends of his, or people who had agreed with his mission for the city. Few of them looked at her with real hatred, most just looked pitying and confused. They were all wondering what everyone else was wondering.

How had a sixteen-year-old girl taken out Lincoln March, an athletic man of over six feet? It didn't make sense. Where had his bodyguards been? What had been her motive?

Karla claimed to have done it alone - and she had, technically. She had to struggle to keep her face straight as she thought about telling everyone that her self from the future had come back to assist in the murder.

Well, _that_ would certainly help her insanity plea.

Two police officers came up to Karla. She stood up from her chair on their command, holding her arms out for them to cuff. They strapped her arms in front of her, connecting the chain around her wrist to one around her waist. One of the officers bent down to strap her ankles together as well. Then they led her out of the courthouse.

Karla walked past her brother, casting Dick a sideways glance. He nodded at her, his eyes full of sorrow as the guards ushered her past. He swallowed hard, closing his eyes. Barbara put her hand on his shoulder.

There was a prison van and several guards waiting for Karla outside. They'd pulled the van in front of the courthouse, as close as possible in an attempt to block reporters. It hadn't exactly worked, and as Karla stepped out of the courthouse, news cameras began to flash. One of the officers left Karla's side to begin to push reporters back, and Karla ignored the questions they yelled at her.

The other officer pushed Karla's head down to block her face, sliding the back door off the prison van open and helping Karla inside. She stumbled slightly getting into the van, and the officer unsympathetically pushed her in. The girl slid down the bench, and the officer jumped in after her.

He attached the chain at the center of the floor on the van to Karla's wrists and then turned around to jump out. He closed the door, locking it from the outside. Karla closed her eyes.

She felt the van's engine start, and then the vehicle began to move underneath her. She kept her eyes closed, swallowing hard. She'd been relatively quiet and emotionless since her arrest, but now that she was alone, it was starting to hit her.

 _I_ killed _Lincoln,_ she thought. _I left Dick._ A tear trickled down her face, and her breath caught in her throat. Before she could really start to sob, a thump on top of the van made Karla open her eyes. She peered around curiously as she sniffled slightly. She was unable to see anything in the windowless back. There was another thump, and a startled yelp from the driver's seat.

Karla stood up instinctively, walking closer to the wall. The van had stopped moving. She pressed her ear against the wall to listen, and she could hear the unmistakable sounds of a fight. She banged on the wall of the van.

"Hey!" she shouted. "What's going on?"

She waited tensely for the response, but it never came. A screeching sound from behind Karla made her whirl around. The doors to the van flew open. A man wearing a red mask that covered his entire face was standing on the ground in front of Karla. As she watched, stunned, he hopped into the van. He was holding a lock-pick, and he made quick work of Karla's chains.

Karla stared at him with wide eyes. He stared at her for a few seconds, and when she didn't move he grabbed her, lifting her up from the bench and setting her onto the ground outside the van. He hopped down next to her. Karla looked around in surprise.

The three prison guards were lying on the ground. Two of them were unconscious, but one was staggering to his feet. He went for his gun. The man in the red hood twisted, beating the guard across the face. She couldn't help but notice that he was clearly aiming to decapacitate, and though his blows were vicious he wasn't aiming to kill.

As she observed, the vigilante swept the last guard to the ground and then turned to Karla. Her breath caught as the man's hands closed on either side of her face. She tried to think what to do – fight back? Run away? If she ran, where to – back to the police? Before she could make a decision, the man was leaning in closer to her. He whispered something in her ear, his voice distorted by a voice modulator.

" _Go."_

Karla did.

* * *

 **DETROIT  
October 2, 02:35 EDT**

Jazz Turner sat up in bed. She had waken to a noise outside her window. Yawning, she walked across her room, pressing her face against the glass. It was dark outside, and the pouring rain made it hard to make anything out. But something made her suspicious.

Running down the stairs, Jazz entered the dojo that she and her dad owned and lived above. She crossed the darkened gym level, throwing the door open. A gust of cold wind and rainwater sprayed her face as she flung the door open.

Squinting out into the dark rain, Jazz could better make out what she'd seen upstairs. A girl was struggling against two men who had ganged up on her. As Jazz watched, the girl ducked a punch, charging forward and catching one of her assailants around the waist. The man behind her put his hands on her waist, attempting to pull her off.

Scowling, Jazz charged out of the doorway.

"Hey!" She shouted. She ran out into the rain, catching the man behind the girl and slinging him backwards into the ground in one fluid movement. He landed on his back, his breath coming out in short gasp. Before he could recover, Jazz switched her stance, launching a powerful roundhouse into his face. The man's head snapped to the side, and he slumped against the ground, raising his arms to cover his face.

Jazz turned her head, half-expecting to see the other man coming at her. To her surprise, he was on the ground as well. The girl was standing a few feet away, and her knuckles were raw and pink from punching the man in the face. Jazz bent down, scowling.

"Beat it," she ordered the two men – she could see now that they were hardly out of their teen years. She even recognized one of them from school. The one that she'd beat up nodded rapidly, scrambling to his feet. His friend followed suit, and the two of them hauled ass out of there. Jazz turned towards the girl who had been attacked curiously.

The other girl raised her head, brushing her dark wet hair out of her eyes. She looked a little younger than Jazz's seventeen, but not much. She had pale skin and bright blue eyes. And - Jazz couldn't help noticing - despite the hunted look in her eyes, she was beautiful.

She only looked up for a second before dropping her gaze again, but it was enough for Jazz to get a glimpse of her face – and she recognized it immediately from the pictures that had been plastered all over the news for the last few weeks.

"Hey," Jazz said, surprised. "I recognize you, from the news. Aren't you that girl whose wanted for that assassination of that mayor candidate?" The girl gave no response. Jazz arched an eyebrow. "How'd you get to here from _Gotham_ without being caught?"

"Jazz?" She turned her head. Her dad had come down the stairs and was standing at the edge of the doorway. "What's going on out here?" He walked over to his daughter, looking over her shoulder. He raised his eyebrows at the bedraggled girl in front of his daughter. "Who is this?" Jazz turned back to her dad.

"A wanted murderer," she responded coolly. He raised his eyebrows. Jazz tapped her chin, trying to recall. "I think…Kara, maybe?" The girl still didn't respond. Her head was lowered, shoulders slumped, hands hanging loosely by her sides. There was no sign of aggression in her stance. Ben took a step forward.

"Look at me," he told her. Almost against her will, Karla raised her gaze. Ben studied her slowly, sympathy rising in his chest. He recognized her too, and more importantly recognized the look in her eyes. He glanced at Jazz, who nodded. She knew what he was thinking – she had known his habit of taking in strays every now and then, ever since she was little. Most of them didn't stay long, but they all came back to visit, all saying the same thing – that Ben had helped them start over, wipe their slate clean, get a life they were proud of.

If there was ever a person who needed a clean slate, it was this girl right here.

"Let's go inside," Ben said, opening the door to the dojo. "We should talk."

* * *

An hour later, after some quick introductions, Karla was clean and dry and wearing some of Jazz's clothes. They were too big on her – the girl was much taller and curvier, not to mention absolutely gorgeous. Karla pushed the sleeves of the sweatshirt back up her arms. Jazz set a cup of tea down in front of the younger girl, and Karla murmured a quiet thank-you.

"It's not what people think," she said, wrapping her hands around the warm mug. Neither of them had asked her to explain, but she wanted to. She wasn't sure why - she hadn't explained what had happened to anyone. Not Bruce, not Dick, not Jaime. None of them knew what to think, but Karla inexplicably wanted these two to know. The hot tea warmed her all the way down to her bones and reminded her of Alfred. "I…it's very complicated." Ben sat down across from her, studying her slowly.

"Who trained you?" he asked her. He had recognized her mannerisms outside, but he wanted confirmation of his suspicions. Karla's head shot up; her blue eyes wide with surprise.

"What?" Ben chuckled at the shock on her face. She had just proved he was right.

"I knew the second I saw you," he told her gently. "Takes one to know one, I guess. You were an assassin, weren't you?" Karla swallowed hard, staggered. She studied Ben, trying to place his face, but she couldn't.

"I – I was a Talon," she admitted after a long beat of silence. "For the Court of Owls." Ben nodded. He'd heard of the crime group before.

"My father was part of the League of Shadows for a long time," Jazz told Karla quietly. Jazz was staring at Karla intently, and Ben had to bite back a chuckle. His daughter had never been this involved when Ben took in one of his strays, but from the way she was looking at Karla he knew why – Jazz had a little crush.

"Is that why you killed that man?" Jazz asked softly.

Karla swallowed hard, looking down at her cup of tea again. She didn't respond immediately – truthfully, she wasn't sure what her answer would be.

"I don't need details," Ben told her, standing up and walking over towards her. She turned her head, looking up at Ben as he stood over her. "But I do need honesty. This can be a safe place for you, a place for a second chance." Karla's breath caught. She hadn't expected this offer. Ben continued; his voice steady. "I need to know that you're not dangerous. I _want_ to help you, but I need to protect my daughter."

"Dad," Jazz said, rolling her eyes. He held up a hand, silencing her before she could even start to protest. Both of the Turners focused their eyes on Karla, waiting for her answer. The girl licked her lips, thinking.

"I'm not dangerous," she said slowly. "But I don't want to – I don't want to inconvenience you." Ben shook his head. He had known from the moment he'd seen Karla, recognized the broken, scared look in her eyes, that he had wanted to help her. He just hadn't been sure if she would want to be helped.

"It's not an inconvenience," he reassured her. "This is what I do." He held out his hand for Karla to shake. Karla hesitated, looking over at Jazz first. The older girl nodded, smiling encouragingly at Karla, who then shook Ben's hand. He smiled.

"Welcome to the Tiger Dojo."

* * *

 **like i said...not very happy with this chapter, at all. i do like the way the end turned out, but the beginning and middle just feel so...bleh to me.**

 **if any of you don't know Ben Turner is a real DC character; his daughter Jazz is an OC.**

 **anyways.**

 **this stories ~officially~ complete, but i may or may not be going back through to re-edit/re-write certain chapters and areas of this to make sure it's a story i'm proud of.**

 **anyways, please leave a review and let me know what you thought of this story, and/or if you'd like to see a sequel sometime!**

 **i want to thank everyone whose taken the time to read my work - it means a lot. so thank you so much!**


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